The Fire in my Veins
by hellokhaleesi
Summary: Starts at 3x14, then goes AU. A group of militant vampires seek to overthrow the Originals and install themselves as leaders, but Klaus is already preoccupied... falling head over heels for a certain baby vampire who is driving him insane. POV: Klaus. Rated T for language, may progress to an M later though.
1. The Ball

_**AN: This is a fic based on 3x14 entirely from Klaus's point of view. I was intending on making it a one shot, but I might develop it into a whole story - a kind of AU - depending on what you guys think. Sorry about how long it is; I started and just forgot to stop. I hope you enjoy it, please review!**_

* * *

Klaus chatted mildly with a guest; a slightly attractive female, with light hair and dainty features. She prattled on about her below average human life, dreams, hopes, the dismay her utterly shit job brought her and how she suspected her husband was cheating. Klaus nodded and smiled and added the odd comment where he saw fit, but it was just human nonsense, and he had already forgotten her name. She wasn't even interesting enough to make him hungry.

She, like many of the guests at his mother's ball, was dressed in all her finery; if ball gowns and tuxedos alike formed the bland cake of the event, glittering jewels and over-done hair styles were the sickly icing and the sour, over-ripe cherry on top was the calibre of bullshit people were spewing over his champagne. Klaus had not enjoyed these events in the past, and it seemed all the delights of modern life had not changed that.

He saw Kol, the more self-obsessed of his siblings, surrounded by a circle of pretty young girls. The way they flapped their dainty hands at his crap jokes made Klaus think of crows; a murder of crows circling their prey. There was a certain poetry in that. Or perhaps irony.

Finn, the quietest of he five, was talking to Elena Gilbert. He made a mental note to have her tailed by a trusted hybrid; his canon of a sister was a liability, but with their mother around, he's have to go on the defensive, not the offensive.

Rebekah was loitering. Klaus didn't care what for. He loved his sister dearly, but her pointless, mundane obsession with the human life was nearly as bad as Elijah's and it brought nothing but laughter to Klaus.

The woman he was talking to made a comment and giggled, so Klaus grinned, although he was completely ignorant to what had been said. A movement and familiar smell caught his eye. The smell of... Caroline. Sweet, beautiful Caroline.

He fell speechless when he saw her. She was wearing his dress, he noted with a sense of pride. A sudden image of her slipping it over her curves, the material caressing her skin clouded his vision momentarily, causing him to reach to a table to steady himself, gripping it tightly. He pulled himself together, releasing his grip on the wood before the already splintering oak snapped in half.

She wore her hair up, a few, light tendrils bounced along side her face as she walked. Klaus had imagined brushing one of those tendrils aside to lean down and kiss her more times than he wanted to admit to himself. She was truly exquisite.

She approached him. She looked so comfortable in that dress, like a princess. No, a queen. She would be his queen. And he would be king of it all, with her at his side.

"Good evening."

She opened her mouth, and for a moment, Klaus thought she might be courteous. She closed it again.

"I need a drink." she said awkwardly, pushing past him. No such luck. He watched her go, wondering how much of her anger and resentment was birthed out of genuine emotion, rather than a sense of duty to stand by her friends. Loyal Caroline, unwavering in her duties.

The sight of Elijah beckoning him brought him out of another day dream. Before he could get distracted again, he followed his brother up the stairs, where the rest of his family stood.

"If everyone could gather, please..." Elijah's voice echoed off the ornate walls, drawing everybodie's faces towards him.

"Welcome, thank you for joining us." he said, addressing the whole room. "You know, whenever our mother brings our family together like this it is tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance..."

Lies. Their mother died long ago. The only time their family had been together truly since then was in the back of a lorry, crossing state lines in their coffins.

Elijah indicated their mother. She had cut her hair and obtained a more modern dress. Klaus didn't want to, but he had to silently admit to himself the presence their mother had. Strong, fierce. _They don't make them like they used to_, he thought bitterly. Caroline popped up in his mind. She was strong and fierce, too.

"Tonight's pick is a century old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourself a partner, please join us in the ball room." Elijah finished with a smile, ever the courteous host. Klaus saw Damon grab Elena by the hand. What a mess that girl was finding herself in. The Petrova bloodline had it's way of destroying the bond between brothers. He couldn't let Stefan's irritating new bad manners and Damon's horrific protectiveness destroy his only chance of making more hybrids.

He quickly sought out Caroline in the mass of people. Not hard, really. Like finding a diamond in a sea of driftwood. She glittered. She stood alone, looking slightly awkward. He saw, with delight, the bracelet he had bought her for her birthday around her wrist. She was fondling with it now, running her delicate fingers over the design.

Klaus offered her his arm. She glared at him, but saw no other option, so forced a smile and linked her arm with his. The feeling of her touching him sent electric sparks running through is body. He cursed himself for this; he could not allow himself to be weak. She could not be a weakness.

He lead her on to the dance floor. The couples dances and swayed and twirled around each other. The waltz was, in it's own respect, an art form. And Klaus was an artist. Caroline was art.

"I'm glad you came."

"Well..." she stuttered. "it was either caviare or casseroles, so..."

"I heard about your father." Klaus noted, a noticeable tone of sympathy in his voice that surprised even him.

"Don't." she said sharply. "Seriously."

"Very well." he nodded respectfully. He doubted he was the person she would seek comfort from. He doubted her pride allowed her seek comfort from anyone. "On to more mannered subjects then, like how ravishing you look in that dress."

She truly did. He chose the blue especially, he knew how beautiful she looked in blue. He had taken a blonde hybrid with him shopping so as to model, but it had been a waste of time; the thought of comparing Caroline and the girl was terrible. Insulting, to Caroline, even.

"I didn't really have time to shop." she laughed nervously.

"And the bracelet I gave you, what's your excuse for wearing that?" Caroline gulped and licked her lips. She averted her eyes from Klaus. He smiled at her. "You are quite the dancer."

"Well, I've had training." she said defiantly. "I happen to be Miss Mystic Falls."

"I know." Klaus knew so much about her. He had grown fascinated with her. A girl so young and already so many titles under her belt. Of course, they would have been pointless and of no interest to him usually, but they came with a certain magic with Caroline. An accomplished woman. He remembered seeing several trophies in her room when he had visited. Cheerleader. He had to shake his head to remove the images of her in her tiny skirt, her pony tail bobbing up and down as she danced and pranced about.

_ 'Cause lately I've been waking up alone..._

The words from the song playing in the background echoed in his eyes as he danced. Modern music didn't interest him, but he found this phrase replaying in his head. Klaus had been waking up alone recently. He didn't have to. One way or another, he could wake up with any girl in his bed. He didn't want to.

He wanted to wake up next to Caroline.

Klaus cursed himself again, not for the first time tonight (or in fact the second or third) at how weak he became just from being near her.

_ Maybe I should let you go..._

Klaus decided there and then that he didn't like the singer. What kind of man would consider letting the woman he loves go? He didn't believe in any of that _**"It's okay for her to be with someone else because she's happy"**_ bullshit. He didn't believe that any man could truly convince himself that there was a guy out there who could love his girl like he could, not if it was real love.

He paused. Did he love Caroline? He always assumed she was just a project, a game of cat and mouse. He glanced at her; her eyes were off somewhere, and even in her vacant, dream-like state, she was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen. _Maybe_, Klaus thought.

In his distant trail of thought, he had almost neglected to realise that they had changed dancers. Caroline had been replaced with a larger, older woman with dark hair and bad breath. Klaus's eyes found Caroline again, in the arms of Matt Donovan. If he paid attention, he could smell the tiniest hint of her skin. Maybe he could pretend that it was Caroline's hand on his shoulder, not this stranger. He turned an ear to them.

"Anyway, what are you doing here with Klaus?" he heard the accusation in Matt's voice, and Klaus gritted his teeth; it was all he could do to stop himself tearing them apart, and tearing Matt's throat out. Rebekah would take that as a slight anyway, and probably try and hurt Caroline in some petty attempt at revenge. He felt anger rising in the back of his throat at the mere thought.

Caroline sighed. "Don't even get me started."

A pit formed in Klaus's insides. How naïve of him to believe that Caroline would ever truly enjoy his company.

The dance ended. The dancers exchanged pleasant looks and bows and courtesies and hand shakes and all other charming little gestures.

Several minutes, hours maybe, passed. Klaus had lost the desire to keep up; he just wanted these people out of his house. He was bored. And many were drunk. And humans were intolerable when they were drunk.

He wanted to find Caroline. He wanted to see her and talk to her and soak up all she had to offer. She was an interesting soul. She wasn't with Elena, Matt or the Salvatores. He took a wander outside, and found her.

She was wrapped in a shawl, staring dreamily at a horse. A big gypsy vanner, all dressed up in his finest tack as well. Even the horses.

"You like horses?"

His voice seemed to startle her, but she was far too proud to allow herself to look anything but confident in front of him. He drew comfort in that; it meant she cared.

"I'm not talking to you until you tell me why you invited me."

"I fancy you." he smirked. She looked incredulous. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes." she snapped.

"Why? You're beautiful, you're strong, you're full of light." he paused to admire her. "I enjoy you."

"Well, I'm spoken for. By Tyler." she added.

"I thought you two ended things."

"Yeah, because of you and your freaky sire bond with him." she rounded on him. It took him mildly by surprise; not many people talked to him so freely.

"So, you aren't spoken for."

She paused.

Klaus freed her from the awkwardness on responding. "You know, horses are the opposite of people. They're loyal." He stopped for a moment to admire the big horse before him, it's breath leaving steamy clouds in the air. "My father hunted me for a thousand years, and the closest he ever came was the day he killed my favourite horse. He severed it's neck with a sword, as a warning." The memory left a sour taste in Klaus's mouth, and he realised Caroline was looking at him with something that looked vaguely like pity.

"Did you ever consider sitting down with your father, and talking it out?"

"Well, I'm afraid my relationship with my father was a little more complex than yours." he said bitterly.

She considered this, nodding slowly. "Maybe so. But I let my father go with no regrets"

"And to answer your question: yes, I like horses. But I also like people and they actually like me, so I'll be inside." She said it with a sarcastic smile. Klaus watched as she walked away. _That's twice she's walked away from me tonight_, he thought sadly. He wanted to call out to her, to ask if ever a day would come when she would not run a mile to get away from him, when she would have a conversation without the biting remarks and sarcastic comments. He wanted to gently caress her jaw with his thumb while he pressed his lips to hers, removing the dress he picked out for her.

He laughed at his ever-wandering mind, taking a slow stroll back inside behind her.

* * *

Several mundane conversations, several glasses of champagne and several near encounters with the light brown haired female with the cheating husband later, Klaus found Caroline sipping at her own glass. She seemed to be observing the party rather than participating. He wondered about how her mind worked at these sort of things; Caroline was famous for the planning of her parties, after all.

"There's something I'd like to show you." he whispered in her ear, no more than an inch away from her neck. She jumped slightly, but followed him regardless.

He lead her into his studio; it was softly lit with chandeliers and the walls were bare with red brick.

"What is it you wanted to show me?" she asked.

He showed her the first painting. A landscape, beautiful and large.

"Impressive." she nodded. "I take it the curators at the Louvre aren't on vervain?"

He laughed, delighted by her knowledge of art. "Well, that's their mistake."

She smiled. "What about this?" she held out her wrist, indicating the bracelet. "Where did you steal this from?"

"Ahh, that's a long story. But rest assured, it was worn by a princess, almost as beautiful as you."

She rolled her eyes – none too subtly – at his compliment. He cleared his throat, turning away, but he couldn't help the grin playing across his face.

He saw her eyes scanning some drawings on a table. All on dusty brown paper, she allowed the slightest touch of her fingertips around the edges, before something clicked behind her eyes. "Wait, are these... did you do these?"

"Yeah." he cleared his throat again. "Actually, one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice. Have you been?"

Caroline looked down. "I've never really been anywhere."

"I could take you."

She looked at him with those big, incredulous eyes, snorting.

"Anywhere you want. Rome. Paris. Tokyo?" he said, eyes glittering at the thought of helping her off a plane in Paris, about walking her round the beautiful sights of Rome, showing her all of the ancient culture of Tokyo mixed with the shininess of modern living. She'd look stunning in a Kimono.

They laughed together, but there was a hint of sourness in Caroline's voice. "It must be really nice to snap your fingers and get whatever you want." His smile faded slightly. "Is that why your collect hybrids? A little servant army to take you places and bring you things?"

Her voice had gone from sour to bitter hatred in a matter of seconds. "You're making assumptions."

"Then why do you need Tyler?" she said, turning on him. "Stop controlling him. Give him his life back."

Klaus felt the rage crawl up his throat. This was never about him, or them. It was about Tyler. It was always about Tyler.

"You know, this has been a fun evening, but I think it's time for you to leave."

She looked at him. No, she looked into him. Those eyes, boring holes in his skull, reading him like a book. "I get it. Your father didn't love you, so assume no one else ever will either. And that's why you compel people, or you sire them..." she spat the term out at him.

"...or you try to buy them off..." She tore the bracelet from her wrist and it landed on the floor with a _chink_. "but that's not how it works. You don't connect with people, because you don't even try to understand them."

She stormed away from him, leaving him open mouthed and stunned. Not even his temperamental sister had spoken to him so frankly in so long. Torn open his chest, ran her nails across his heart and spat in his face. He was Klaus. He got what he wanted, when he wanted. No one ever challenged him or questioned his motives, and they certainly never got away with it.

_ Three times in one night_, _Caroline_ _Forbes_, he thought. _Three times too many._

* * *

Klaus stood in that spot for a very long time after Caroline had gone. After the last breath of her scent had vanished. After every word she spoke had swam in his head a thousand times. He slammed the door, yelling. He heard the beginning of splintering, and so gently closed it before he tore it from the frame. Clicking the lock shut, he threw off his suit jacket, ripped his tie off and ran his hands through his hair furiously.

No one got under his skin like this. It was like... fire. Fire in his veins. He couldn't sit or stand and think or breathe or move. He could feel her words like knives on his brain. There was no escape from it. No escape from her. Everything reminded him of her. The way the shadows played off the walls reminded him of the way she danced. The way the candles glowed reminded him of her thick, tousled hair. The sight of the last remnants of blue in the sky reminded him of the dress her bought her.

He picked up a pencil impulsively. Grabbing the nearest fresh sheet of paper, he began to draw. Shapes, lines, nothing. He just wanted to do something. Before he knew it, the shapes and lines took on the form of her face. He tweaked the hair. Sharpened the eyes. Smoothed her jawline. He became obsessed with making it perfect.

After an hour (or three, he'd lost count) he stood up, massaging the bridge of his nose between his thumb and finger. He caught a glimpse of himself in the window, his reflection clear in the black, starless sky.

"Fucking madman." he muttered to himself.

He glanced down at the picture of Caroline. He longed for her to be here. He had never wanted something like he wanted her in that moment. Insanity gripped him in cold hands, and he listened intently for a sign of her. Anything to let him know she wasn't far. Her voice. Her laugh. Her shoes on the pavement. Her breathing. He heard another kind of breathing; a deep, gruff breathing sound, not far away. A horse.

He stared at the space on the paper next to Caroline's face, and an idea hit him. He pulled himself together, and sat down at the desk again. He began to sketch the horse's head. It took him moments; he was skilled, and now he had an objective, his head was clear. When he was done, he sat back to admire his work.

He wrote a quick note in the corner; _Thank you for your honesty, Klaus_

He was thankful. He didn't know why, but he was. Maybe he was just thankful to have someone who wasn't sired to him, a person with their own individual thoughts and feelings, and the fire to express them. Yes, he certainly enjoyed Caroline.

He took the sketch, and put it in one of the boxes he had in his studio. He hunted around for a length of ribbon, and wrapped a bow around it. He smile at his creation. Slipping it in his pocket, he made his way back into the party.

Many people had left, but Elijah quickly rounded on him. "Where have you been? Mother will kill you if you've been feeding at her ball."

"I- I was just- I was drawing."

Elijah eyed him suspiciously. "What's wrong, brother?"

Klaus shook his head. "Nothing at all, you know how much I dislike these events."

Elijah allowed him to pass, but Klaus could feel him staring at him as he walked by. He could practically hear the cogs in his brain ticking furiously.

Klaus didn't get far before Rebekah found him. He groaned internally; she was the last person he needed right now.

She took one look at him. "What's up with you?" she snorted. Klaus said nothing. "Oh, God, tell me that blonde bitch didn't get to you tonight."

"On the contrary, we've barely spoken this evening." he said lightly, before walking off and leaving her snarling at him.

Klaus drove to Caroline's house, climbing in through her window as he often did. It made him feel juvenile and silly, but there was a certain human delight in breaking into a girl's house to leave her gifts. He left the box on her bed, the fabric of her covers gently touching his fingertips as he did so. He was utterly tempted to lie on her bed, soak in her scent, and pretend she laid beside him. However, he was exhausted, and he didn't think he had the tenacity to have to explain to Caroline why he was asleep in her room.

He left the box there and the bed otherwise untouched. With one last fleeting glance around, he climbed back out the room.

* * *

He sat in his car, quietly waiting for Caroline to return home. When she did, he saw her pick up her mobile and walk inside the house. He heard he say "Tyler..." and decided that he wouldn't listen in. For entirely selfish reasons, of course.

He crept to her window, allowing himself the slightest peak inside. She was looking at the box, exasperated. Muttering to herself, she tore the ribbon off and opened it. He watched with delight as her face of malcontent turned to one of surprise as she admired the drawing. She looked at it for a long time, before gently rolling it back up and placing it back in the box. She seemed not to know what to do with it, so she put it back on the bed.

Klaus smiled at his victory, no matter how small.

_You will be my queen, Caroline Forbes_, he thought. _One day, I will show you the world. The whole, beautiful world_.


	2. His New Ally

_**AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed/followed/favourited this after the first chapter. I hope the next chapter is just as good in your eyes!**_

The grill was lively; the dull hum of chatter resonated off the gentle orange glow on the walls. The sounds of chinking glasses and pool cues hitting balls composed a familiar song.

Klaus leant on the bar, next to Kol. His insatiable youngest brother was eyeing the dark brunette playing pool with Alaric. A nearly empty bottle of tequila sat before him, and the bottle of rum they had drained stood next to it. Klaus had a bitter taste in his mouth and a cloud hanging low in his head.

He drained the rest of his glass. Kol made to get up to speak to the brunette, but Klaus placed a hand on his arm, shaking his head.

"For the love of God, Kol. Don't. I don't think I could deal with any more of Elijah's tutting if you killed a local over a girl."

Kol sighed, leaving his back against the bar, ruffled his hair with a hand and winked at a passing girl. A thousand years old and the boy was still acting like a hormone driven sixteen year old.

Klaus shook his head jokingly.

"I remember that one from last night... She is a tasty little thing." his brother let out a low wolf whistle.

He didn't need any more information; the smell of sunlight filled his nose and he knew exactly who had just walked in. "Say another word and I will pull out your liver."

Kol raised his hands in surrender as Caroline made to walk past them, but Klaus called out her name.

She glanced at them. "Oh, hi." She smiled at Klaus, but gave Kol a disconcerting look.

"Oh, no need to look so worried, darlin'." he grinned. "I know I'm new but I don't bite." He winked at her.

Caroline helplessly looked to Klaus for support. He responded silently by putting an arm around his little brother's shoulders, and digging his nails deep into the muscle of his shoulder and squeezing the bone until he heard the first cracks. Kol winced, but kept an impressively straight face.

"Ignore my baby brother, love." he said kindly. "Why don't you join us for a drink?"

"Klaus, I need to talk to you." she said nervously.

"Talk then." Kol beamed.

"Alone."

Klaus released Kol's shoulder, and indicated for Caroline to lead the way. She walked them to a secluded corner of the bar, where the lights were dim and the air was musty. He offered her a drink, but she declined.

"You should know, I'm really sorry." she stammered when they sat down. He looked at her quizzically.

"For what I said about your father? That wasn't my place, it was mean."

He held up a hand to silence her. "No, love, it was true."

"But..." she started. He shook his head, placing a hand on hers. She looked like she wanted to withdraw it, but allowed it. She paused. "Thank you for the drawing, it was lovely."

He smiled. "What did you need to talk about?"

She took a deep breath. "I was in the supermarket, buying some things for my mum, and I overheard these two guys talking about breaking into your house."

"Why would they do that?" Klaus asked. Although, he already had a very good idea why.

"He wants to steal all the wood from the Wickery Bridge."

Klaus sat in silence. Of course they did. Ever since his mother returned, she vowed they would be a family. Rebekah had discovered the remaining white oak, and it was securely hidden in their house. He groaned.

"Klaus, wait!" she called after him. "Where are you going?"

"To stop a pair of very stupid and soon to be very dead vampires from breaking into my house."

She giggled. He cocked his head.

"No need." She placed her bag on the table, landing with a _thud_. He looked at her incredulously, before looking inside. She had a bag crammed with white oak.

"Why would you do that?"

She smiled at him. "You know, my father took my daylight ring, chained me to a chair and tortured me to try and make me better. And when he was dying, I sat by his side until the end. I loved him to the second he died and I'll never stop."

Klaus remained silent. His stomach churned at the thought of Caroline burning in the sun.

"My point is, everyone on this planet deserves to have at least one person who believes they can be saved. My friends and family were willing to let him die alone, but I loved my dad." she said, standing up to face him, her body tantalisingly close to his. " You've heard the same stories I have; the other vampires want to kill all the Originals. They want the power for themselves. I know you can be saved, Klaus. I won't stand by to watch you die."

He had no words. Very few times in the past thousand years had Klaus been rendered speechless, but this selfless act for his sake had stolen every word from his mouth.

Klaus said nothing, but pulled her into his body, overwhelmed. She rested her head on his chest, her hands on his waist as he wrapped his arms tightly around her shoulders. "Thank you." he whispered into the top of her head. She clutched the fabric of his shirt in her hands, and they stayed there for a long moment, just holding each other.

Klaus could feel the steady beat of her heart against the erratic thumping of his own. It was intoxicating. The rum and tequila had left his head fuzzy, but feelings her so close to him left him damn near unable to stand up right.

She pulled away, leaving her hands resting on him, looking into his eyes. He brushed a stand of hair from her face. "I understand what you did for me, love. I know the risk you took... if they had caught you..." He felt his hands ball into fists as they thought of Caroline in danger.

She nodded, curling her hands around his body so they rested on the small of his back. He could feel his muscles flinching at her touch, barely able to contain his delight.

He released her, clearing his throat. "I should go." she said quickly, suddenly embarrassed.

"Stay," he said, keeping one of her hands lightly held in his. "and have a drink with me."

She looked nervously at Kol. He chucked, promising he's keep him at bay. She agreed, and allowed him to continue his hold on her hand as they walked back to the bar. He gently caressed her palm with his thumb, holding it slightly behind the skirt of her dress so as Kol wouldn't see.

"Caroline, dear." Kol smiled broadly at her. "What brings you here so late at night?"

She glanced at Klaus, who nodded at her. "I heard some guys talking about trying to break into your house."

Kol glared. "What... Klaus, why are we sitting here idly while..."

"Calm down, brother. Caroline has the white oak, feel free to go stop the intruders, I'm quite happy to laugh and watch them run around like headless chickens searching for what they will never find." Klaus chuckled.

"Well, I'm going to go back to _our_ house to make sure a couple of cocky little shits aren't wrecking it." Kol snapped. With that, he stormed off. Klaus noticed his half empty glass of tequila, and offered it to Caroline. She raised her eyebrows at first, but then shook her head, taking it, drowning it in one. Klaus laughed at her, pouring her another.

"I need to tell you something else." she said, sipping at her glass. "Damon was going to try and steal the oak too, he wanted me to come here to distract you so he could find it."

Klaus's face fell. He felt his expression go stony. "Do you have a death wish?"

Caroline spat out her drink. "What?! I said _no_, you silly prick. You actually think I'd tell you if I was?"

Klaus could have kicked himself. So many years of distrust, he couldn't even trust the innocent of heart standing right before him, who had gone against everything she knew just to bring him some shards of wood and have a drink with him. "I'm sorry, love." he muttered.

"Who's making assumptions now, huh?" she kidded, giving him a playful punch in the arm. "I'm not playing bait for anyone, that's just harsh."

"Even me?" he smirked.

"Especially not you," she said, pausing. "I like a challenge."

He laughed, making to grab her playfully, but she eluded him, ducking out of his arms. A game of cat and mouse ensued, until Klaus finally got her. He had inexplicably caught her up against the bar. She stared into his eyes; he was unable to read what she was thinking. All he knew was his pants were straining tighter around the crotch as he became blissfully aware of how close they were. She cleared her throat, making to push him away, smiling.

He pushed against her, placing a hand either side of her. He leant in close, his face brushing past hers. He ducked his head, allowing his lips to caress the soft skin of her shoulder, running them up her neck, settling level with her ear; "Me too." he whispered.

He was aware of how her hands were tightly clutching his shirt at the shoulders. As she pushed him away, she purposefully let their faces brush past together. Her lips were so close to his that even the slightest of movement would cause them to touch. Klaus could feel the whites of his knuckles showing in restraint.

"Good, because I'm too smart to be seduced by you." she smirked, ducking under his arm to lean back on the bar.

He grinned as she arched her back, flexing. A tease. A smart tease. A smart tease with a sharp tongue. Yes, he would certainly rise to the challenge.

Several drinks later, Caroline was giggling incessantly. He found this infuriating in other people, but with her, it was adorable. The way she touched her lips as she laughed, shook her head to loosen her hair and lowered her eyes with a smile when she caught him looking at her.

She checked her watch. "I really should go home, my mum will kill me if I'm back any later."

"You're dead, what else could happen?"

She scowled at him. "I'm not dead, I'm just a bit... life-challenged." She hiccuped.

Klaus shook his head, offering an arm for her lean on. "Come on, love. I'll give you a lift home."

She smiled at him, linking her arm in his. He walked her outside to his car. He caught Alaric eyeing him with contempt out the corner of his vision as Caroline clutched on to him, her resting on his shoulder. She'd probably get an earful from Elena tomorrow, no doubt. He made a mental note to call in on her in the afternoon to ensure she was okay.

The cold air of the night no longer bothered him. Years and years of winters, long and short, had made him immune. But it seemed Caroline hadn't fully adjusted to it, and her subconscious awareness that she _should_ be cold made her shiver.

Klaus instinctively took his coat off, wrapping it around her shoulders. She thanked him with a kiss on the cheek. He felt the blood rush to his face, turning him bright red. God, he was nothing but a lovesick teenager around her. She must have noticed, because she laughed. He laughed himself, turning her around and hugging her.

They walked like that to his car, laughing together.

"Klaus, big bad original hybrid... blushing." she giggled.

"Shh you." he said, squeezing her. He opened the car door for her, and she (somehow, gracefully) clambered in, still hugging his jacket.

They drove home in companionable silence. She tapped her fingers against her leg to the music on the radio, her head swaying to the turns in the road against the headrest. He doubted he'd ever seen her so at ease with him, save for in his dreams. Her eyes were closed in a dreamy haze, her hair ruffled and wavy. When he pulled up at her house, he stayed there for just a moment to admire her.

She was too drunk to noticed they had stopped, so he gently tapped her knee to bring her to attention. She stirred, blinking a few times before realising where she was. She massaged her temples with her fingers, the half bottle of tequila she demolished obviously taking it's toll.

Klaus opened her door, helping her out. She wobbled on her feet, falling into his arms. He supported her weight effortlessly, but felt his own knees weaken as he received a front row view down her top. He cleared his throat as she climbed up him, straightening herself.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I never get this drunk."

"It's quite all right, love."

"No... urgh, I'm going to regret this in the morning." she rubbed her eyes before realising her mistake and Klaus's fading smile. "Not this," she indicated the space between them, quickly correcting herself. "this." She pointed to herself.

He chuckled, leading her to her front door. She struggled to get her keys in the door, and fell through it when it swung open, hanging on the handle precariously.

She tried to stifle her laugh, raising a finger to her lips to silence Klaus as he chortled at her less than elegant entry. She wrestled the key out of the lock, and composed herself to face him.

She was irresistible. Wonderful. Endlessly interesting. As much a mystery as a goddess.

"Thank you for tonight." she smiled. She carefully stepped forward, putting her arms around his neck. He nodded, helpless to the smile forming on his face.

She went inside, closing the door. He felt a near irresistible 1980's moment coming on; he wanted to jump and punch the air while some terrible ballad played in the background, the singer with obnoxious hair, walking down the road, the camera zooming out on the silhouette of his leather jacket.

_Christ_, he thought. _What is this girl doing to me?_

He sauntered down her steps. Checking no one was looking, he jumped up and punched the air. Adjusting himself and clearing his throat, he made it back to his car.

When he returned home, his sister was lazily lounging on the sofa. The room had been wrecked; draws opened and their contents thrown on the floor, paintings ripped and shredded, the floor covered in feathers from the pillows.

"Kol didn't make it back in time then?"

Rebekah looked up. "Kol hasn't been home. We thought he was with you."


	3. Glorious Morning

Klaus did a double take. "You mean Kol didn't turn up at all?"

Rebekah shook her head, and went back to playing on her phone. "And what, you're not the slightest bit concerned?"

Elijah walked in. "Kol is a big boy, Klaus."

"He said he was coming back here..."

"And in the time it took him to leave and get to his chair he probably got distracted by something shiny, or with tits." Rebekah said crudely. "You know what he's like, Klaus."

Irritated by everyone's nonchalance about the disappearance of their brother, Klaus called him. He didn't pick up.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, brother. He's probably just feeding." Elijah said soothingly. Klaus shook him off; this felt wrong. Kol was determined to come back and stop whoever did this to their house.

"Anyway, what kept you so late?" Rebekah brought him back.

"I stayed at the bar." he said shortly. She shook her head disbelievingly.

"You mean, you stayed at the bar, with Caroline." she snarled. "You fucking idiot, Klaus."

Klaus opened his mouth to retaliate but Elijah beat him there. "Rebekah, that doesn't mean anything. Why was Caroline there?"

"She came to give me this." he said, holding up her bag.

Rebekah raised her eyebrows. "She came to trade fashion tips?"

He groaned, throwing it at her. Looking inside, she understood. "She stole the white oak so she could give it to you?"

"She overheard some vampires talking about stealing it, probably who did this." he waved his hand around the room. "She took it first, and gave it to me. Why does the fact Caroline was with me tonight mean anything, anyway?"

"She doesn't look guilty, Rebekah..." Elijah reasoned.

"Yeah, she's got you two wrapped around her little finger. What if she dropped a few bits off to Damon and Stefan first? What if, there were no guys, she stole it, then trashed the place?" Rebekah raged. "Or are you so _madly_ in love with her you couldn't even contemplate the possibility that she could do such a thing?"

Klaus growled at her, baring his teeth. Bitter, resentful bitch. The temptation to bite her gripped him tightly. The temptation to see her scream in pain as she died, venom flowing round her body. Just a nip...

"Enough, Rebekah." Elijah said sharply. "Klaus, stop it."

Ever the mediator, Rebekah sat back down on the sofa, and Klaus calmed down.

"Caroline had nothing to do with it." Klaus growled, before storming out of the room. He knew the first thing they would do was go to her. He had to get there first. Not even bothering with his car, he ran over there.

* * *

He climbed in through her window, panting slightly, and found her fully dressed, passed out on the bed. One of her shoes had fallen off and the other was hanging off her toes. She looked so innocent, even in a drink induced coma-like sleep. She'd never use him like that. He realised she had fallen asleep with his jacket clutched tightly to her chest. He felt his heart swell at the thought that maybe she would one day hold him like that as she slept. She twitched slightly in her sleep.

He sighed. He'd have to stay until morning. Rebekah would tear her throat out without warning, and Elijah... well who knew what Elijah would do. He carefully removed her other shoe, and placed them neatly at the end of her bed. She was laid on her keys, them digging into her ribs. He delicately slid them out from underneath her, placing them on her dresser. Without undressing her, there was little else he could do to make her more comfortable.

He listened carefully; he could hear her mother snoring. Creeping downstairs, he found her kitchen. He rifled through the draws until he found some aspirin. Popping two tablets out the pack, he poured a glass of water and made his way back upstairs. He placed the tablets and the water on the bedside table.

One of her pillows had fallen on the floor, and he rearranged it so he could use it. He kicked off his shoes and undid the top buttons of his shirt. Placing his hands behind his head, he settled down for a night watch over his innocent, sweet Caroline.

* * *

He fell asleep to the sweet song of her breathing, images of her laughing face and tousled blonde hair haunting his dreams like a beautiful ghost.

When he awoke to the first streams of sunlight falling on his face, he quickly checked on the bed. She was fine, sleeping soundly. He let out a deep breath. Massaging his temples, he sat up. Sleeping on the floor had left his back stiff and creaky, and it gave a few angry _clicks _before full movement was allowed again, but he soon shook himself fully awake.

"Morning, Klaus."

Caroline's voice caused him to jump out of his skin. He looked at her, supposedly asleep on her stomach. She was looking at him with one open eye, still hazy and glazed over.

"Um," he stuttered. "morning, love."

"I heard you come in through the window last night." she muttered into the covers. He nodded awkwardly. "Why are you here?"

"Rebekah and Elijah might want to kill you."

She groaned. "Again? Why now?" She buried her head in the duvet.

He couldn't help but laugh at her. Hungover Caroline was nearly as adorable as drunk Caroline.

"I got you some aspirin and water." he pointed out.

"I know," she said. "We have a creaky tap. How was the floor?"

"Stiff."

She patted the bed. He raised his eyebrows.

"Get on the bed, Klaus." He could tell it wasn't a request.

He climbed on next to her, and she shifted on to her side to face him, eyes staring straight at him.

"You know, if your mum catches us, she'll probably shoot me." he muttered, already dazy from the thick mattress, resting his head on his hands.

"Probably." She nuzzled into his jacket. She paused. "Tyler's not coming back."

Klaus raised his head, shocked by this sudden change in conversation. "What, why?"

"He says he found a new pack. Says he's better off with them." she said, clutching onto the material of his coat. "Says there's nothing here for him. I haven't told anyone else... I, I guess I didn't want to admit it."

"I'm sorry." he said awkwardly. It was a blatant lie, but it's what people needed to hear about these things. She said nothing. "Kol's missing."

She looked up. "What?"

"Rebekah and Elijah think you had something to do with it. Rebekah thinks you gave some of the oak to Damon and Stefan, or made the whole thing up." he explained with a grimace.

"Why didn't you say anything..?" She paused. "You don't... you don't believe them, do you?" she stammered.

"Of course not, love." He leant forward, kissing her forehead..

He savoured this moment, resting his forehead on hers when he pulled away.. "You need to go look for him. If anyone took him, it's the vampires who want to kill you all, he might be in danger."

He knew she was right, but he didn't want to leave her. Rebekah and Elijah might be waiting for him to leave now, waiting for their chance to interrogate her on all she knew. He winced at the idea, his fists tightening around nothing. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, pulling her in closer. She didn't object, allowing herself to be pulled in towards his body. He prayed she didn't feel this heart pounding against his chest.

"I hate to interrupt, brother..." Elijah's voice caused him to sit bolt up right, baring his teeth, his eyes yellowing. Caroline cowered behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest, pressing her face into his back. Klaus gently took one of her hands in his, giving it a soft squeeze of reassurance.

Elijah seemed to be stood on her windowsill, looking through her closed window. He was shaking his head dismally at them; Klaus continued to snarl at him.

"Put the fangs away, Klaus." he said dismissively. "Rebekah is gone."

Klaus snapped back to his usual self. "What?"

"I woke up this morning, she was not there. She will not answer her phone, and her bed reeks of vervain."

Caroline released her grip on him. "You need to go, now."

He twisted round to look at her, seeing the look of genuine concern on her features. She brought her hands up to cup his face, smiling at him. "Klaus, go. Elijah and Finn need you."

"But..." he started to argue, but she silenced him with a finger to his lips.

"No, now. You're the only one not susceptible to vervain." Her voice was gentle, but firm at the same time. She leaned upwards, planting a soft kiss on his forehead. "Go, Klaus."

Begrudgingly, he left her, and with one last glance, jumped from her window. He landed with a soft _thud_. Elijah landed next to him, eyes boring on him.

"You know, Klaus, I haven't seen you so smitten since... well, since Tatia."

Klaus glared at him. "What do we know about Rebekah and Kol's disappearance?" he said, ignoring Elijah's statement.

He nodded, not pressing the matter. "There must be a large group of them. They have vervain in some kind of liquid form, and in large quantities, too. I can't find anything else out because I can barely enter her room, I need to you to do it."

"Okay," he nodded. "What about Kol, where was he taken?"

"I assume on his way to his car."

"Right, you go back to the Grill, see if his car is still there. I'll have a look around Rebekah's room."

The two brother's nodded at each other before disappearing in separate directions.

* * *

When Klaus reached his house, he could smell the vervain before he even entered. It was pungent, strong... almost concentrated.

Upon entering Rebekah's room, the smell would have knocked him on his ass. The summer sun had fallen on it, making it even worse. There, however, wasn't much to see. A few things had been knocked over, the bed was drenched and the window thrown open. Klaus groaned. He had no idea what he was looking for.

He scanned the room. Nothing was too out of place. Something glimmering caught his eye, in the folds of her duvet. He fished it out, his nose wrinkling at the stench, but his heart dropped when he realised what it was.

Klaus ran back to the kitchen, dialling Elijah. He picked up quickly.

"Elijah, they took off her daylight ring."

He heard his brother groan down the phone. "I thought they might have, I just found Kol's by his car."

"We need to warn Finn." Klaus muttered. He didn't want to, Finn would likely offer himself up to them, the pathetic excuse for a vampire that he was.

"I already have. Finn has taken out mother out of state, to New York. They're on their way as we speak."

"Okay, do we have any idea who this might be?" Klaus rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"This is a gutsy move for vampires, even a large group of them. Have we considered witches? Or maybe even The Five?" Elijah suggested.

"No, no... there's no way The Five could all be here without us knowing. Witches... maybe. Good ones, strong ones. Witches that could be working with vampires, not unheard of." Klaus played every situation in his mind. They were striking when they were weakest. Rebekah, when she was alseep. Kol, when he was angry. "In the mean time, we need to stay on high alert. And we need some back up."

"You want to call the Salvatores?" he enquired.

"I want to call all of them. Damon, Stefan, Bonnie, Elena..."

"Caroline?"

Klaus paused. "All of them." he said shortly.

He could have sworn he heard Elijah chuckle down the phone. "I'll go to the Salvatore Boarding house, Elena will probably be there. You go get Caroline and get Bonnie. We'll meet at the Grill in an hour."

Klaus hung up, still running his fingers over his sister's ring. Sunlight couldn't kill her, nor could vervain, but if he had to guess, his baby sister and baby brother were in a lot of pain. He clenched it in his hands. He found Caroline's name on his phone. His heart skipped a beat as the phone started ringing. He gave himself a swift punch in the leg; _Man up, Klaus._ He thought bitterly to himself, feeling the bruise already rising. _This is no time for your stupid lovesick delusions._

"_Hello?"_ Caroline's voice was angelic, so soothing to his ears after his most recent discovery.

Ah, fuck. Right back to square one. "Hi, um, yeah, Caroline... Are you free today? I need- _We_ need you."


	4. Gathering the Troops

Caroline was already at the Grill with Bonnie when Klaus arrived. She looked tired, her eyes bloodshot and her hair limp. He guessed she'd gone back to sleep after he'd left. Bonnie looked nervously in his direction, giving a small wave to beckon him over.

"You're here early." he noted, taking the seat opposite Caroline.

Bonnie nodded. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Talk away." he said, curious as to what could be so important.

"You're a hybrid. The original hybrid. You're even harder to kill than your siblings, and I think whoever is doing this is going to look for a way around this." Bonnie took a deep breath. "I think they'll use Caroline."

Caroline shifted in her seat awkwardly, not looking at him. He raised his eyebrows, understanding; of course she'd told Bonnie, they were best friends.

"I think that's plausible." he said slowly. "Why did you need to say this now?"

Bonnie snorted. "Is this really a conversation you want to have with Damon near?"

Klaus took this as a fair consideration, and was slightly touched Bonnie thought of it. Then again, this was probably for Caroline's benefit, not his.

"Good point." he nodded. "I can assure you – both of you – _no one_ will touch Caroline."

"Good." Bonnie nodded. She looked a little stunned it had taken so little persuasion. "I'm going to get us some coffees, 9am is too early for a Sunday."

Klaus gave her his thanks, and she left, leaving him alone with Caroline. "You told her then?"

She looked up, shaking her head. "Elena did."

"Elena?"

"Alaric saw us leave together and told Elena, Elena told Damon and Damon said that Rebekah said that you walked out last night in a strop and didn't come home. She put the pieces together, I guess."

He was bemused. "I don't _strop_."

She giggled. "You have been known to throw class A tantrums, Klaus."

He kicked her jokingly under the table. She mocked terror, throwing a sugar sachet at him from the condiment holder on their table.

"My God, you two are embarrassing." Damon's grating tones interrupted Klaus's flicking bits of napkin at her.

"Damon, Elena." Klaus's voice remained curt but polite.

"Hey, blondie."

Caroline didn't respond, simply rolled her eyes at him.

Elena took the seat next to Caroline, Damon the seat next to him. He flashed him a sarcastic grin before settling with his hands behind his head. Klaus groaned.

Bonnie came back with coffees, settling in a chair in between Klaus and Caroline.

Klaus noticed there was a few people missing. "Where are Elijah and Stefan?"

"Stefan's moping around, refusing to help, as usual." Damon explain lazily. "Haven't heard from Elijah since he text me telling us to meet him here."

He was not surprised at Stefan; he had little reason to help anyway. The fact Elijah hadn't been seen and wasn't hear struck a chord, but Klaus decided to ignore it until it was actually time for them all to be there. Something must have shown on his face, because Caroline tapped his leg with her foot under the table. When he looked at her, she mouthed "He's okay." at him. He returned her smile.

"Okay, so now that we're mostly all here, someone has been going around kidnapping my siblings. Obviously, this is bad..." Klaus started.

"For you." Damon said shortly.

"For all of us, Damon." Bonnie reasoned. "Think about it, could you take out a whole family of Originals? That's some serious manpower they have. They're a threat to everyone here."

"We haven't pissed off anyone. Recently." he snapped. Klaus noticed Elena rolling her eyes. "They're not coming after us, they're coming after him."

"You really think this is about us having ruffled a few feathers over the years?" Klaus said incredulously.

Caroline came to his rescue. "These vampires think the Originals are in charge, that they're ruling us. But they're not. Sure they can / dicks every so often," she glanced at Klaus apologetically. "but they don't enforce rules. But what do you think happens when a group of strong, power-hungry vampires think they've overthrown the leaders?"

"They _become_ leaders." Bonnie finished her sentence.

"Okay." he said reluctantly. "Point taken."

"Now we've got that sorted out," Klaus beamed brightly. "on to the matter of getting Kol and Rebekah back."

* * *

_**AN: I know this a much shorter chapter, but I've been having a bit of a writer's block, but I'm on the next chapter as you read this. Thank you all for the reviews and such like, it's all so appreciated! xo**_


	5. Distracted

The group had discussed the most likely situation at hand, and had come up with three main points.

Firstly, Elijah was missing. He wasn't responding to his phone, no one had seen him since Klaus left him. Elena went out searching for his car, and found his daylight ring sat on the bonnet.

Secondly, all three of his missing siblings were still alive. Klaus had the white oak hidden in a secret vault underneath the floor of his art studio, and it was all there. Thus, they had to be alive.

Lastly, this meant they were being held. Elena suggested they started by thinking about where you could successfully imprison three original vampires. Damon mentioned an abandoned warehouse just out of town. Bonnie told them about a decommissioned prison a few miles from Mystic Falls. Elena said that there was a string of unused factories a few towns over.

Klaus had his doubts about the warehouse; kids break into them too often, they'd be quickly discovered. He was impressed about Bonnie's idea with the prison. He doubted that it was totally unguarded, but vampires this ambitious probably didn't care about a few cameras that could be removed and guards that could be compelled.

"Right, I think we all need to have a look around these places." he suggested. "Bonnie, you and Elena look around the factories. Damon, you investigate the warehouse. Caroline, you'll come with me to the prison."

Damon looked bemused. "Why am I on my own?"

"Because I can't send Elena, a _human_, in on her own, and you wouldn't survive with Bonnie." he said bluntly.

"Oh, you think I can't _protect_ people, Klaus?" Bonnie asked, flaring up.

"Quite the contrary, love. I just don't think Damon inspires much protection." Klaus smirked. He caught Caroline's eye out of the corner of his sight, smiling at him.

They all went their separate ways to prepare. Klaus had all three of his sibling's daylight rings now, and they felt like an uncomfortable weight in his pocket, a reminder of how the sun was probably burning their skin as he stood. Caroline bid her farewell to Elena, bumping into him as she turned on her heel.

"Sorry, Klaus." she said awkwardly. She flicked a strand of hair from her face, causing her blonde locks to fan out behind her. The sun shone through them, illuminating them like liquid gold. He was momentarily entranced by her, sun beams shining off her very skin. It was as if light emanated from her every pore.

"Klaus?"

Her silky voice stirred him once again. "Sorry, love, just got... distracted."

"Understandable." she said sadly. She paused, tilting her head so as to look into his eyes. "They'll be okay, Klaus." He felt her place a hand in his, giving it a squeeze. He caught her reassuring eyes, interlinking his fingers with hers. She gently ran a thumb across the back of his hand. The simplest of gestures. He'd never let anyone know, but his insides were burning and twisting and radiating fear and fury and all over horrible things. Family was everything. Forever and always. He needed his family like a fish needed water; it was suffocating not to have them beside him. And right now, her running her thumb across the back of his hand, was an oxygen mask. She was real, she was here.

He felt the muscles in his jaw jump and twitch as he tried to form a coherent sentence. She waited patiently, her smile unfaltering, unwavering. "I should go home."

"We should." she said brightly. He raised his eyebrows. "C'mon you." She began to walk, pulling him by his hand as she went.

"Caroline, love, wait..."

"Not if you're going to say something stupid." She was as far as she was getting holding on to his hand, leaning at a 40 degree angle, pulling him. He admired her tenacity.

He sighed, pulling her back. She stumbled, crashing into his chest. "What are you doing, love?"

"Taking you home." she smiled innocently.

"But, why?"

"Because, Klaus," she sighed in exasperation. "you'd never say what you were feeling, but it's written on your face in permanent marker. You need... someone."

"I need you, Caroline." he said softly.

"Good, let's go home then." She was pulling him again. He gave up, allowing himself to be dragged back to his house. She chatted randomly for most of the journey, pointing out interesting shaped clouds, how the leaves were starting to turn orange, cooing over dogs, walking on the walls of people's front garden's, leaping at the end. He was fascinated with how she saw the world; everything a spectacle in it's own right.

When they reached his house, she wrinkled her nose at the lingering smell of vervain. Despite this, she lead him inside the still trashed living room.

"Wow, they really did a number, huh?" she winced.

"Yeah, they did."

"Did they touch your art?"

"No."

"Probably a good idea." she grinned, laughing.

He grinned back. He walked over to the stereo, pressing play without checking the CD inside. A song played, acoustic, which made him suspect Kol. He didn't know the song or the artist, but the sound of the carefully plucked strings of a guitar filled the room and drew Caroline towards him.

"I always suspected you to be a soft rock kinda guy."

He shrugged. "I'm not really a music guy."

"I'm sorry, Klaus."

"What for, love?"

"Your family."

He looked at the floor. He wouldn't beg for sympathy from her, from anyone. Sympathy wouldn't get them back, actions would.

When he looked back up, she was much closer to him than before. He could hear the pitter patter of her heart beat without thinking about it, the blood pulsing round her body. He could see every line of colour in her eyes, blue, green, teal. Like endless pools of oceans and skies compacted into tiny iris'. God, he craved her like a drug, craved her touch.

Almost as if she read his mind, she traced the very end of her finger tips up and down his arm. He wanted to tell her she had nothing to be sorry for, but he was utterly transfixed by the sight of something so pure, so untainted even daring to touch a soul so damaged and bloody.

He cleared his throat. "I don't know when, but I promised myself I would have no weakness. No one could challenge me face to face, but this way, that was their only option. I'd have to see them coming."

"I have roamed this planet for a thousand years, but there is very little upon it that I hold dear. But my family is my everything." He hated being like this, he hated baring himself like this to her. He hated how everyone could see right through him, how everyone saw him at his weakest.

"Your love for your family is not a weakness, it is a testament to your strength." she said defiantly. "You are the strongest being on this earth, you could forget it all, shut out all emotion. The fact you are who you are today and still remain loyal to them, love them, fight for them and protect them is the reason you are as strong as you are. Every soldier needs something to fight for, Klaus."

He had become aware her fingers had stopped tracing every line and hair on his lower arm, and were simply holding it. There was something oddly intimate about this; it may have been the sensation of feeling her increasing pulse in every finger tip.

"You said you need me." It was less of a statement, more of a question.

"Yes." he answered slowly.

"Why?"

"I've walked in the sun for so many years, but I never knew light until I met you." he mused. "You were willing to fight me on your death bed, your body racked with poison, and you knew only I could save you. You didn't beg, you didn't care, you looked me in the eye and mocked me. I knew then you were something so special, love."

She chuckled. "All these years and all you needed was a woman to put you in your place."

Even on the backdrop of a wrecked house, Caroline was beautiful. The sun had fully risen over the clouds and filled the room with golden sunlight, and streams of sun danced with the music in the background.

Impulse racked his body to it's core as he slid his arm through her grip, bringing their hands together, linking their fingers. He placed his free hand on the small of her spine and he brought their lips together. She didn't move for a long moment, and he worried that she was simply allowing him to kiss her, rather than wanting it. But, she soon began to move her lips against his, letting her hands wander up his arms, across his shoulders, down his back.

He pressed her to him closely as she tangled her fingers in his hair, locking them together. They began to move against each other, their kiss deepening. He slipped a hand into the back of her vest, feeling the warm skin of her back. The other gently pulled her head back, revealing a long, slim neck. He planted kisses from her collar bone to her jaw, then along her jawline. He wanted to kiss her everywhere.

She pulled out of his grip, pressing her mouth back on his. She tugged on his t shirt, eager to remove it. He obliged, pulling away from her briefly to get it over his head before returning to her kiss hungrily. Caroline ran her hands over his chest and torso, allowing her mouth the trace the contours of his neck. He pulled off her jacket, discarding it on the floor. Thankful the people who broke into his house had left the sofa intact, he lifted her off her feet, sitting her on the back of it. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he pushed himself into her.

She pulled her own top over her head, and Klaus let a moan escape his mouth as she did; she really was a goddess. The light played off her curves, her flawless skin like marble, smooth and cool as he ran his hands over it. She linked her fingers behind his neck, keeping him close to her. Steadying himself with one hand on the sofa, he brushed her hair aside with the other, kissing and sucking on her neck. He hit a nerve, causing her whole body to jump. He lost his hold on the sofa, losing his balance along with it.

They landed on the cushions in a jumble of arms and legs, her trapped beneath him, giggling like a woman gone mad. She caught his eye, and for a second, he thought that maybe she just realised exactly where she was and what she was doing; he held his breath. When she stopped giggling and shaking her head at him, she took his face in her hands and kissed him again. He could feel her smile beneath her kiss; it was the most amazing sensation.

His sofa was narrow, and as he tried to adjust himself into a more comfortable position, they rolled off the end onto the floor with a _thud_. She buried her face in his chest – whether out of embarrassment or desire to stifle her laugh was unclear – before suggesting they ditch the couch and find a bed. He nodded, laughing, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her up the stairs to his bedroom.

He laid her on his bed, climbing on top of her, gently, allowing himself to truly feel every inch of their bodies touch, to feel the electric that made it impossible for him to tear himself from her. She clawed at his chest and back, nibbling gently on his lower lip. He could feel his heart racing, so he knew she knew it was driving him crazy.

He ran a hand down her tantalizing body, savouring every touch, before deftly undoing the button of her jeans.

* * *

For the second time in one day, Klaus woke up to the gentle sounds of Caroline's breathing. Only, this time, she was cradled in his arms, asleep on his chest. He was disorientated, unsure of the time, unsure of what had just happened. The sun was high in the sky, so it must have been near midday; how long had they been asleep? He shook his head. Why did it matter so much? They were here, she was with him. He felt euphoric.

Music still floated through the air, birds sung their own song in reply outside. He could hear cars going past and the music in the cars if he listened. He could hear the wind whistling his lazy tune through the trees and the leaves rustling, dancing along.

But, the only sound the mattered, was the sound of Caroline's breathing as she slept soundly on his chest, curled into a ball with her hands subconsciously caressing his collar bone and upper arm. The only sight that his eyes cared for was how the sun dyed her hair a thousand different shades of gold. Even on a bed of satin, with the midday sun warming his skin, the only sensation that brought him any joy was the feeling of her light breath on his chest.

He wondered how long he would stay here, watching her. He wished longer than he knew he could, for they still had to check out the prison Bonnie mentioned. He felt a slight pang of guilt knowing he was laying in bed in a post-sex daze while his siblings were possibly being tortured. Suddenly, the sun didn't feel good on his skin. He twitched at the thought of it burning him, causing Caroline to jolt awake. He felt even more guilty.

She rubbed her eyes, stirring from a heavy, thick sleep. Almost unknowingly, she crept up his body and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, twisting her fingers in his hair.

"Morning, love." he muttered into her hair, kissing the top of her head.

She mumbled an incoherent response. He smiled, supporting her with his arms wrapped tightly around her, sitting up. She slipped down him a little, but he cradled her in his arms, in his lap, until she woke up a bit more.

They stayed there for an unknown length of time, him softly stroking her hair, her pressing the softest kisses across his chest before they both silently agreed they had to get up.

She reluctantly peeled herself away from him, pulling on what clothes had been discarded on his floor. He did the same, sadly watching her fiddle with buttons and zips and straps. He seemed almost embarrassed about dressing in front of him, keeping her back to him. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She jumped, but quickly relaxed, resting her head back on his chest.

"We need to go." she said sadly.

"I know." Klaus rested his chin on her shoulder.

She pulled out of his arms to go downstairs and find her vest. She sauntered away from him, and as he watched her go, his mind was filled with all manner of images; she stood beside him, queen of the world. His queen. He would be king, she would be queen, and they would rule it all. Together.


	6. Oakhorn Prison

_**AN: Thank you to everyone reviewing this story, especially **_**ohvalencia****_ for your absolutely stunning review. Made my night!_**

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The front gate to the prison was rusted and bent and weather-worn, and a sturdy kick from Caroline sent it flying. The hinges buckled and shards of metal landed across the neglected front lawn and the dirt road that lead up to the dull, grey building.

Oakhorn Prison was built less than 60 years ago, a minuscule establishment, meant only to ease the strain on the other prisons with the increasing crime rates. A single, two story, U shaped building surrounded with fence after fence after fence. Grey and red brick walls were littered with narrow windows, the grounds covered with dying grass and the remnants of flowers long since forgotten, placed only to mask the fact the prison was overrun with occupants and there was more crime inside than out.

Caroline looked out of place here, Klaus noted. She looked nervous. He knew no one else had found any trace of his siblings at the other places, so either they hit a dead end, or they struck gold. He wondered which she was hoping for. He wondered if he'd done the right thing bringing her along.

They found their way into the main hall. Klaus cautiously listened for any sign of movement, but heard nothing. Giving Caroline the all clear, they both began investigating.

They were surrounded by cells, all seemingly abandoned, walls of grey and metal and cold. In all cases, each had only a bunk bed with no mattress or sheets, and an empty closet, all covered with a thick layer of dust.

Klaus might have found this place morbidly beautiful, allowing his mind to stretch it's legs, creating occupants and stories for each of the cells he entered inspired by their individual smells, the carvings on the wall. But now his mind wandered to a different topic. He might have imagined the horrors that had gone on in these walls, but all he could see was the colour of Caroline's skin and the way she bit her lip when he allowed his hands to wander. The way she would paralyse him for a second when she first pressed her mouth to his.

He shook his head to clear it. He was angry at himself for delaying searching for his family to indulge his own fantasies, so he dug his nails into the palms of his hands until he bled on the floor. It was petty and pointless, he realised as the skin healed almost instantly, but it had momentarily made him feel like himself again. That was enough for now.

"Klaus!" Caroline yelled from some cell opposite him. "I've found something."

Hope jumped in his chest. That was more than anyone else found. He shot over to the cell she was in, nearly crashing into what looked like a chemical lab. Test tubes and tubs of liquid covered the table, many with pipes leading to other tubs, like a peculiar modern art piece.

The smell hit him a second after; vervain. He followed the tubes and pipes with his finger, coming to a jar where a thick syrupy substance was forming.

"They're concentrating vervain into a serum." he said incredulously. This was unnerving, even for him. A lot of planning had gone into this. "They're making it stronger."

"I know why." He turned to face her. She was holding a long, thin tube and several darts in her hand. They were darting his family with concentrated vervain. "Now we know why they couldn't just break out."

"They don't have their daylight rings." he said, more to himself. Poisoned and burning somewhere. "That must be how they're keeping them down at night."

"That's how we keep them down at all times," a voice made them both turn around. "you Originals are a pain in the ass."

A woman was leaning casually on the door to the cell. She didn't look much older than Caroline, but with long, black hair cut in a harsh fringe across her eyebrows.

Klaus looked at Caroline in disbelief. "You're either very brave, or very stupid, love."

"The two are not mutually exclusive, _love_." she snorted. "I'm Sofia. You could compel me, but I'm on vervain. You could drain me but you don't really have the time. You could kill me, but you would have to search even longer to find your family."

"Doesn't leave me with too many options." he snarled. He was itching to tear her face off, but part of him admired her for her boldness, and he was curious as to why she had revealed herself. She was speaking too fast; she was nervous. Anxious.

"You can hear me out and then do whatever you bloody want, sugar."

He looked at Caroline, who was eyeing the girl with suspicion. He knew she was a lot younger than the new comer; Sofia probably bordered 150 years old. Caroline seemed intimidated by the girl. She was physically smaller, thinner, and would be slower and weaker.

Klaus threw himself at her, pinning her against the wall by her throat. Suddenly, she wasn't cocky, she clawed at his hand to free her airway, gasping for air.

"I'm listening."

"I didn't have anything to do with taking your family, I'm only here to protect my baby sister." Sofia gasped.

"And why does she need protecting?" Klaus growled. "She's not messing about with vampires older than her, is she?"

"She is, she is, but it's her boyfriend, Adam. He's the one trying to kill you all, he broke into your house, he tried to steal the white oak." she choked. "He's 300 years older than us, he'd kill us if we stopped now."

Klaus loosened his grip, but placed his arm across her collarbone, keeping her pinned to the wall. He bared his hybrid side, running his canine teeth across her neck, feeling her shake underneath him, tears streaming down her face.

"Klaus, stop it." Caroline snapped. He pulled away instantly, keeping an eye on Sofia. Caroline came forward, resting a hand on the older girl's arm, smiling warmly.

"What's your sister's name?"

"Rosalia. She followed Adam here, neither of us believed their plan would work, but it did and we tried to leave and get away but they threatened us." Sofia seemed cautious of Caroline's friendliness, but desperate to get her story out before someone killed her. "Rose is the one did all the science, the vervain and the UV lights in the prisons. She was humouring them, she didn't realise we'd actually end up with three Original vampires in a prison."

"There are UV lights in the prison?" Klaus snapped. UV lights acted like a superficial sun, imitating the sun's rays and their effect on vampires. Without their daylight rings, his siblings could be tortured any time of day.

"Yeah, Rosalia didn't even know if they'd work, but when Kol got here the vervain wouldn't keep him down enough, we had to try something." Sofia pleaded.

"I'm not seeing any reason not to tear out your internal organs, love."

"She's here to protect her little sister, Klaus." Caroline reasoned. "What are you doing here?"

Klaus considered this. The last time he thought Rebekah was in significant danger, he killed her and stowed her in a coffin. He hadn't gone against his better judgement to follow her into a suicide mission just to protect her.

"You know what, you're lucky Caroline has a heart, or yours would be rolling around on the floor." he said sharply. "Bring me the people who took my family and I will spare you and your sister. Do it now."


	7. Adam

_**AN: Sorry about the delay between chapters; my new sleeping pattern had been destroying me, I need to stop going to bed at 5am. I promise to get back on top with more regular updates! Hopefully the length makes up for it.**_

_**Again, thanks to **_**ohvalencia****_ for your reviews and also _lateVMlover_! And a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed!_**

_**One final word, I am so sorry to anyone who speaks Italian. I speak not a word of it, so I have to use Google translate, which I know from experience is dodgy as hell. Probably should have made the Trigiani sisters, Sofia and Rosalia, Spanish but screw hindsight.**_

Sofia departed as quickly as she arrived, leaving Klaus stood with Caroline in the cell that had been altered into a chemical lab in a somewhat awkward silence. He knew from how she had crossed her arms across her chest and avoided his gaze something was bothering her.

"Caroline, love, what is it?"

She glanced at him nervously, almost as if expecting him to hit her. He raised an eyebrow, and even this simple, minimal movement caused her to flinch. Ignoring his question, she asked if they could go somewhere else, indicating the vervain.

Agreeing, he allowed her to lead the way out of the cell and back into the main hall. In the centre, there was a tall, rectangular building, which would have once been a watchtower. Caroline leant against it, keeping her distance from Klaus, watching him silently.

"Aren't you angry at me?" she asked timidly.

He stared at her blankly. "Why would I be?"

"For stopping you, for going against you in front of her. I'm just a baby vampire, I didn't think you'd take kindly to people knowing you'd take _my_ opinion into consideration." she laughed nervously, the subtle humour in her voice almost drowned out by the fear and intimidation.

He grinned. "Well, yes, it would put a smile on Elijah's face to know that I was considering someone else whilst on the war path, although I advise you not to tell Kol or Rebekah."

She looked stunned. "You're not even mad?" she stuttered.

"No, love." he smiled. "I've spent a thousand years developing a reputation, I doubt one vampire and her love sick sister can convince an entire world I've lost my touch."

She looked abashed, blushing slightly. "I just thought... I know you don't... Oh, it doesn't matter."

"Nothing you think could ever not matter, love." he said softly. "Tell me."

She hesitated. "I just know you don't like not being in control. That's half of way this is so hard for you, isn't it? You can't control it." she indicated the prison.

"What makes you say that?"

"You were born to lead, some people are." she said. "You take control of every situation, it's like breathing to you. At the Grill, you knew what to do, what to say. You manage all the hybrids, you've lead your family for centuries. Being in control is just so _natural_ for you."

He paused to consider the honesty that she so often silenced him with. It was shocking, after so long, for someone to speak so frankly to him. "I think you're probably right. What about you, love? Were you born to lead?"

She giggled. "No, I wasn't really born to do anything. Maybe host, I'm a good hostess."

He shook his head, a little sadly. Tucking a strand of hair behind her eye, he said; "You were born to do so much more than host high school parties, sweetheart." It was true. She talked about his ability to lead, what about her ability to inspire? He had his suspicions that if she had not fallen to Katerina and her plots, Caroline might have found herself in a position of power, if she had put her mind to it. A beautiful, strong headed woman was capable of all sorts of things, especially one like her.

She shrugged. "I'm not like you, Klaus. I don't use logic and forethought to forge an empire. I act on impulse and emotion and it gets me no where."

He snorted. "Might I remind you we just left my bed, due to my acting on impulse and emotion? That instead of searching for my siblings, as logic would make me, I chose to spend a hour or so in your arms?"

She blushed furiously. He gently tilted her head upwards, but she shook herself free, staring at the floor intently.

"Do you regret that?" he asked casually, trying not to sound paranoid or neurotic.

Her head snapped up. "No, no, no... I just, it's you, you know. Original Hybrid. I never imagined you doing the deed." she laughed.

"Not once?" he winked. She slapped his chest, stubbornly declining imagining him having sex. "Although, while on the subject, I feel I should apologise for the quality of this morning's adventures."

She grinned. When she noticed the solemn look on his face, she looked incredulous. "Klaus, are you serious?"

He nodded. He had sworn to himself when Caroline finally came into his bed, he would show her what real love making was about, kiss every inch of her body, memorise the details of her skin and learn her like a song. He would make her cherish every second of it, leaving every touch engrained in her memory. He would please her in ways no man had ever done so before. But this morning, he had been distracted by the trouble with his siblings. He had been selfish; he needed her and he let that rule him. He told her as much.

"Okay, can you just not laugh or smirk or pull any... _Klaus_ faces right now?" she laughed. "But that was the best sex I've ever had in my life; if that was you not trying, I'm dying to know what it's like when you are!"

He grinned. "Oh, are you, love?" She giggled, realising what she had insinuated. He backed her up against the wall of the watch tower, sliding his hands into her hair as he kissed her. This time, she kissed him back without a moment's hesitation, and he delighted in feeling her smile under his mouth.

"Klaus..." she muttered between his kisses. "You brothers and sister... can probably hear us..."

"I'll just have to shut you up then." he smirked. Kissing her again, he allowed his tongue to dance in her mouth. Caroline's hands gripped his shirt tightly, pressing him to her. It was a dizzying sensation, knowing that she wanted him near her. He kissed her harder, and she responded just as enthusiastically.

"Caroline, love, I cannot wait until all this is over and I can carry you back into my bed." he breathed, resting his forehead on hers.

She giggled, seemingly at a loss for words.

"What is it?"

"I didn't think you'd want to." she admitted with a shy smile.

Klaus shook his head at her. "You thought this was about sex, didn't you?" She nodded. "You are endlessly captivating, I could talk to you all day, every day for a thousand years and never tire of your voice. You are magical. You are the sun personified, Caroline. You bring light and life, but you would never compromise your strength. I don't want to share my bed with you, I want to share my life with you."

She looked utterly shell shocked. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it again.

"Um, Klaus... I... You know..." she stuttered. Looking straight into his eyes, she rolled her eyes at herself. "Fuck it."

Before he knew what had happened, her lips were on his, her body was pressed against him and her arms were wrapped around his neck. None of the lust was there that had been in their previous kiss; this was pure passion. His hands caressed her back and tangled in her hair as she desperately tried to get even closer to him. She craved him just as he craved her.

When she pulled away, she kept her arms around his shoulders. Klaus rested his hands on her waist, but his skin itched in conscious desire to feel the softness of her skin on his fingers again. Her eyes met his, and she fell into abashed giggles.

"I'm sorry. I just... you inspire all sorts of terrible things in me."she laughed. He grinned, telling her she had no need to apologise. "No one has ever said something so _beautiful_ to me."

"That is a crime, love." he said defiantly, placing a delicate kiss on her forehead. "One as beautiful as you should only hear words of the same calibre."

She tutted jokingly. "I didn't know in between all the world domination plans, you moonlighted as a poet."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, love." he said dramatically, but Caroline simply stuck her tongue at him and ducked under his arm. She got no more than three paces before she stopped dead in her tracks. Klaus looked at her questioningly, and she indicated for him to listen.

When he paid attention, he heard several voices. He recognised Sofia's instantly; her soft Italian tones had not been completely lost through years of living in America. Another voice, similar to hers, must have been her sister's. They were arguing that there was nothing wrong with the vervain. Several men's voices were interrupting this argument, demanding why they had been brought along.

Klaus motioned for Caroline to make no sound as she crept in front of her. Years of practice meant that he could move silently, even to the ears of a vampire. Defensively moving in front of her, Klaus awaited for when they would see each other.

As soon as they were in sight, Sofia grabbed the other woman and slammed her into a concrete wall. It crumbled around her shoulders as she protested.

"_Ma che diavola_?" she yelled. "Sofia, _scendere ora_!"

"_Il silenzio, la sorella_." Sofia snarled, holding her little sister to the wall with a firm hand to the chest.

"Sofia, what are you doing?" one of the men shouted.

Another had noticed Klaus and Caroline. "Adam!"

Four men had come with Sofia and Rosalia, although it seemed Adam was the ringleader, the one Sofia's fiery sister was dating.

"Klaus Mikaelson, I presume?" A dark haired man with hollow cheeks and piercing eyes stepped to the front. He had an easy, casual way of speaking that reminded Klaus of his youngest brother.

"Adam, I presume?" he smiled menacingly.

"My reputation proceeds me."

"_Traditore_." Klaus heard Rosalia's snarling voice, calling her sister a traitor.

"Rosalia, _sono contrattazione per la tua vita_."

Caroline looked at him questioningly. "She says she is bargaining for her life." He made sure only she could hear him; he admired Sofia for her fire and bravery, and he didn't want to see her hurt for her choices. She had, after all, chosen to side with him.

"_Egli __é__ qui per quegli idioti_." she snapped. He chuckled, informing Caroline they were "only here for those idiots."

"Adam, I'm willing to strike a deal with you." Klaus suggested lightly, ignoring the struggle going on with the two sisters.

"I'm listening."

"Set my siblings free, and I will give you a one week head start on the race for your life." he beamed. He thought it was a generous offer.

Adam laughed. "That's funny, they told me you had a sense of humour."

Klaus felt Caroline's fingers interlace with his, but it did very little to calm him down. "Listen, you cocky little bastard. My family goes free, or you'll all be in several pieces across this hall. They won't even know which arm goes with which head."

"That's cute, but there's four of us and one of you, not counting that adorable excuse for a vampire cowering behind you. What, is that your mascot?" he snarled. The three behind him burst into laughter.

"I'm nobodies mascot." Caroline growled. She went to advance towards them but Klaus stuck out an arm, shaking his head. He admired her, but she was, at a guess, four hundred years below them. She didn't stand a chance.

"Aw, look at her fangs!" one of them teased.

"Stay here." he said darkly to her. She backed off, but she looked less than pleased. With one swift move, he removed the head of the one who made the remark. It landed on the floor with a soft thud, rolling, leaving a trail of blood.

"Nice move." Adam nodded. Klaus's head snapped up, realising the voice was coming from behind him. He turned slowly, not even wanting to dwell on what he would see.

Adam had Caroline's head in his hands, threatening to tear it off. He feet were scraping the ground, and while he knew she was trying not to look scared, she was terrified. Damn it.

"Let her go or your head is next." he said coolly.

"One step towards me and it wont make a difference, her head will hit the floor before mine." he smirked.

"Adam, I am twice your age." he laughed. "What do you expect to get out of this?"

"Choose. Caroline or your siblings."

"I think I'll take both, mate." Klaus shook his head at the naïvety of this vampire.

"Come get her, you can carry her head in one hand, and her body in the other." he shrugged. "Or, go get your family, and then you can find Caroline – intact – somewhere between here and wherever I wanna go, and where I will go, _alive_."

"You've got some nerve, coming in to _my_ town, threatening _my_ girl." he snapped through gritted teeth. If he went to get his family, there was no guarantee Caroline would be alive when he found her, but he would find her. He looked at the hold he had on her; he doubted even he could get there in time to save her.

"Oh, I'm _your_ girl, am I?" Caroline laughed through tears of frustration. "Don't I get a choice in that?"

"Wanna be my girl, Caroline?" Klaus grinned.

"Sure." she rolled her eyes, laughing at him despite it all. The girl really was something.

"Good, I'll see you in a couple of hours. I promise." he placed a hand on his heart. The muscles in his entire body were screaming to take a chance and tear this guy's head off, but with her life at stake, he didn't want to play the hero. He just wanted her safe. She nodded at him, smiling. He prayed she knew he was telling then truth.

"And just to be clear on what you're dealing with Adam..." Klaus smiled. He shot behind him, and returned in less than a second with the two heads of the other two of his friends. "Let that be a warning. Hurt a hair on her head and I'll force feed you your own liver then hang you with your intestines."

"Point taken." Adam said curtly.

With one last glance, a promise in his eye and a heavy heart, Klaus bid Caroline farewell, and went to search for his siblings.


	8. The Trigiani Sisters

Dear: : Thank you so much! And yes, I know the head removal is favoured by Elijah, but honestly I just couldn't think of interesting way to phrase him ripping someone's heart out. And, yes, by not means has Adam outwitted Klaus, it is simply his sheer cockiness taking him a little by surprise. I don't think Klaus expected him to be so brash. Also, Adam has about 400 years on Caroline! But thank you for the review!

_**QuickChick**_: ((fangirls)) You make my day hun.

_**krikanalo**_: Thank you so much, and yes, I actually agree but I felt it was necessary. I wanted Klaus and Caroline to have that back-and-forth, as a much more human aspect of their blossoming relationship.

_**ohvalencia**_: Unfortunately, I'm writing this at 3am; once a nocturnal, always a nocturnal! Aha, I love it too. I like the idea that Caroline and her stereotypical American teenage girl brings out the high school romantic in him. And don't worry, we meet the sisters properly today, I'm glad you like them though :)

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Klaus was doing a number on his palms when he found Elijah, Rebekah and Kol. Caroline was right; he couldn't stand not being in control. He couldn't control what happened to his family, and now her. He could barely control his own impulses now, ignoring a very blatant set of keys next to the new and improved cells that held his siblings, choosing to instead rip the doors off the hinges.

The three cells they were occupying had undergone some serious refurbishment; the bars that formed the doors were thicker, shinier and sturdier. They were covered in liquid vervain. _They really thought of everything_, Klaus thought bitterly. Bits of the concrete had been chipped away, leaving dust all over the floor. Wires from the UV lamps were trailing all over the place, and power tools were still strew on the floor. A makeshift dart board had been painted on the wall next to the cells, several chips indicating that they'd at least had the courtesy to better their aim before pointing the darts at his family.

Rebekah was the first to emerge, coughing and spluttering, cowering in the nearest spot of shade she could find. Her hair was lack-lustre, her make up smeared down her face where tears had fallen freely and while the welts on her skin were already healing, her shoulders, arms, neck, and the skin exposed by her flimsy pyjamas on her legs was red raw. Klaus pressed her daylight ring into her hand with genuine compassion. Her mouth split into a beam when she felt the metal, quickly sliding it on. Resting her head against the concrete wall, she tried to control her breathing as her skin healed.

Only a slither of shade was found in his older brother's cell. Elijah was pinned to the wall of his cell, pressing himself as far away from the sunlight and the UV rays as he could. Klaus gritted his teeth at the sight of him in pain, his face slick with sweat, body shaking. Elijah had been in the cell for only a few hours, but it seemed that those hours had taken their toll on his usually stony faced brother. Klaus threw him his daylight ring, which he caught expertly. He sighed in relief, thanking his brother with a nod.

Kol was barely conscious when Klaus found him. Lying spread eagle in the middle of his cell, he hadn't even bothered to take the last three darts from his body. Klaus torn them out, smelling the vervain in his brother's blood, causing his own to boil in his veins. His breathing was shallow, his skin blackening in the sun. Klaus closed his eyes as he slipped the ring on his brother's finger, not even able to look at him. Kol was so usually filled with energy, jovial comments and snide remarks. Never, in a thousand years, had Klaus seem him light in the sun and accept his fate.

"Klaus, what do you know?" Elijah's voice had nearly returned to it's normal calm. Klaus had to smile; his oldest sibling was nearly as horrified at the idea of showing emotion as he was.

"Adam instigated this plot. His girlfriend concocted the vervain and brought about the UV lights." Klaus let out a long breath, resting his hand on Kol's chest, desperately trying to find an increase of strength in his breathing.

"And the others?" Elijah inquired sharply. "The three other men, the woman."

"The men are dead. Sofia, and her sister, are under my protection. She risked her life to bring me Adam. The deal was them for her sister's life."

"You will honestly let them go?" he said incredulously. "Look at Kol! Look at Rebekah!"

"Look at _us_!" Klaus snapped. "I've just had to pull you all from cells, because what? A couple of vampires with half our years and a bit of cockiness thought they could take us? They nearly did, Elijah. We are in no position to make more enemies."

Elijah considered this. Perhaps to tired to argue, he simply shook his head, and stormed off. Rebekah knelt down beside her brothers, concern written across her face.

"He'll be okay, won't he?" she said, softly caressing the ruins of Kol's face. "They had his UV on all night, he just wouldn't stop fighting. I could smell the vervain on him from where I was sat."

"Once we get some blood in him, he'll be back to being a pain in the ass in no time." Klaus reassured her, his voice laced with false bravado.

He scooped him into his arms, carrying him with ease to his car. He had forgotten about the three vampires that he had killed to make a point to Adam. _Make a point_. Huh, Caroline would have scowled at him for that under different circumstances.

Elijah was waiting for them, propped up on the bonnet. Klaus shifted Kol into one arm, unlocking the car. The oldest Original slipped into the passenger side front seat without a word, leaving Klaus and his sister to roll their eyes at his uncharacteristic tenacity.

Rebekah opened the back door, while he slid Kol into the back seat. Rebekah took the seat where his head rested, allowing him to use her legs as a pillow, silently smoothing his hair.

"These are for us, I presume." Elijah held up three blood bags. Klaus eyed them suspiciously. He hadn't brought any blood with him, he hadn't even thought.

"I didn't..." he started, before it dawned on him. "Caroline."

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Where is the lovely Miss Forbes?" He passed the other two blood bags to Rebekah.

"I'll explain when we're home." he said gruffly.

Kol was nearly healed when they reached the mansion. He got out of the car on his own accord, but grasped on to Elijah's arm to save himself the embarrassment of falling over. The vervain would take some time to get out of his system, he knew. Until then, he'd just have to not over exert himself.

Immediate family crisis over. Elijah was busy compelling several humans to make their way over to the mansion. Rebekah was showering "bits of burnt flesh from [her] hair". Kol was collapsed on the sofa, moaning about day time TV.

Klaus pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. More than anything, he wanted some clue as to where Caroline was. Anything. Any direction. North, East, South or West. He'd search for any length of time. He just needed her to come back to him.

Elijah walked back in, straightening a fresh tie, followed by three girls. He caught Klaus's eye, grimacing. This was a morbid affair for him. He was usually so much more discreet, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"You've been spending too much time with Nik," Kol smirked quietly. "you've developed his taste for soroity girls."

"I do not relish in the taking of human life, Kol." he snapped. His voice softened when he turned to Klaus. "What happened to Caroline, brother?"

"Adam took her. I turned my back for one second and..." he clenched his jaw until he felt the pain in his teeth and gums. Elijah held up a hand to silence him, shaking his head.

"Do not blame yourself for this, Niklaus." he reasoned. "You were outnumbered. Come, tell me what happened."

Dropping onto the sofa at Kol's feet – for the end nearest his head was host to the girls Elijah brought back, cooing and stroking him like a puppy - Klaus explained how Adam had threatened Caroline's life, running off with her with the promise that he would drop her off somewhere, on the condition that he was allowed to live. Klaus scoffed as he mentioned it; if Caroline was found unharmed, Adam would die. If Caroline was found in any other way, Adam would _beg_ for death through bleeding lips.

"Adam does not appear to be a complete imbecile." he said steadily, choosing his words carefully. "I don't think he intends on holding her hostage for any length of time longer than necessary."

Klaus agreed gruffly. It was hopeless anyway. They had no clue as to where he was, where he was going, where she was, if she was alive. Not even a trace. The best he could hope for was Adam would keep to his word, and not be an idiot. He turned his phone over in his hand, turning it to full volume, just in case.

Standing up abruptly, he felt the rage pulsate inside of him. Fuck, he couldn't stand it. He knew he should never have let her come with him. He never should have gotten involved with her; the second he did, he practically painted the target on her back himself. Despite that, he couldn't regret sacrificing hours of sleep on an actual bed to look over her. He couldn't regret allowing her to playfully drag him home. He couldn't regret running his fingers through her hair as she slept so soundly on his chest. Stupid, selfish man. He couldn't regret feeling what he did for her. He put the breaks on the speeding train inside his brain; he couldn't possibly be going there, could he?

_Love was a vampire's greatest weakness_, he told himself sturdily. And he was anything but weak. He took his frustration out on a lamp on the side table, bringing his hand down on it with a growl, sending shards of glass all over the floor.

"Niklaus!" Elijah stormed. "Sit down, for the love of the gods."

He glanced at the state of the living room; it was still ruined from the intruders. Elijah leant against a wall, a stony look on his face. Rebekah had emerged from the shower, her wet hair sticking to her shoulders and back, wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt and a bored expression. Kol had moved to sit on the sofa, cradling the brunette in his arms as he fed from her neck. She giggled incessantly, while her two companions – rather noisily – kissed and groped each other next to him. Klaus rolled his eyes at the scene, ignoring his brother's pleas to sit. He was thrown a welcome distraction in the shape of muttering voices and shuffling feet at the front door.

Wrenching the door open, two Italian sisters shifted uneasily under his dagger-like gaze. "Sofia, Rosalia, come in."

Sofia, under different circumstances, might have been quite attractive. Tall, lean with wide, brown eyes and endless lengths of black hair. She had an arm around her sister's waist, protectively guiding her through the doorway, eyeing Kol with suspicion.

"Kol, Elijah, Rebekah... I believe you might have met our visitors."

Kol looked up from the barely alive girl lying limp in his arms. When he saw them, she fell onto the floor with an unceremonious _thud_. Rebekah scowled, and Elijah rolled his eyes.

"Nik, what the fuck are those two doing here?" his sister snapped. She lunged at the two, her teeth ready to bare against the neck of the younger sibling. Klaus caught her by the scruff of her neck, dragging her away. She pulled out of his grasp, snarling at him. "You know they tortured us, right?"

"I am fully aware, they also hand delivered me Adam, and in return, they keep their lives." he paused to admire her darkening expression. "Humour me, sister."

Rebekah stalked away, muttering angrily, but Klaus paid her no mind. Shooing Kol off the sofa, he indicated for them to sit down. His brother huffed, before leading the girls all upstairs.

Rosalia sat, while her sister stood, watching over her. For the first time, he got the chance to size them up. Sofia, dominant, brave bordering stupid and impulsive, very protective of her little sister. Rosalia, shy, nervous, probably a lot smarter than people gave her credit for. Brain and brawn, so to speak. He was momentarily thankful Caroline had saved them, they might prove useful allies.

"What can I do for you, ladies?"

"I would like to apologise for the part I played in the imprisonment and torture of your family." The words sounded recited, learnt like a song. He couldn't bring himself to care, however. Something about the way she refused to hold eye contact or allow herself to come close to touching him suggested that she really didn't want to be near him.

Klaus grinned knowingly. "You didn't want to come here, did you?"

The colour drained from her face, and she began staring intently at her shoes. "I want to thank you, for sparing the lives of myself and my sister."

"I'm not going to kill you, Rosalia." he said simply. "And I am grateful for the gesture of you coming here."

She looked stunned, glancing nervously at her sister who was staring at Klaus with a look of infuriated contemplation on her face.

"I am also grateful, and you're right, Rose didn't want to come here. She thought we should leave well enough alone, but we have honour in this family. You saved a life precious to me, I shall return the favour." Sofia's voice was businesslike, but it was laced in fear. She rested a hand on her sister's shoulder before continuing. "I know Adam will not want Caroline with him for a second longer than utterly necessary. She is a liability to him, nothing more. I also know that Adam will leave the country the second the opportunity presents itself."

Klaus considered this. He had a feeling that the younger of the sisters would have happily ran away to a different country too, as she flinched whenever he made the slightest of movement, pressing herself away from him, and glancing at her sister every thirty seconds. But he appreciated Sofia's code of honour, and any chance to find Caroline was one he would take advantage of. He nodded, indicating to go on. Sofia gave a reassuring nod to her sister, who took over.

"Adam will go to London. He _will_ drop Caroline off between here and the airport, but I cannot say for sure which airport." she said nervously. "I think that it will be St Christopher's though."

St Christopher's was right on the opposite edge of the state, heading up towards New York. It was about a two hour drive – although Klaus could make it in an hour and a half if he blitzed it – from Mystic Falls. He inquired as to why this airport.

"It's close enough that he can get out of the country quickly, but far enough away that you might not consider it as an option." She paused. "He'll ring, but he'll be at the plane's door when he does."

Klaus stood up, readying himself for the drive. The road to the airport was near enough straight; he'd have Caroline back within the hour, he predicted. He felt the unusual swelling of his heart when he thought about it. He'd have to take her somewhere, somewhere nice. She'd probably argue him to the ground on it, but he had placed her in mortal danger and there wasn't a chance in hell that he'd let her decline. New York, maybe. A week in the Big Apple, there was so much he could show her. It might not have been Paris or Tokyo, but he doubted she'd even get on the plane if he tried that. Yes, New York sounded just about right.

In an uncharacteristically affectionate manner, Klaus smiled warmly at Rosalia. "You have an exceptional brain. Thank you for your help."

"Brother," Elijah spoke up, reminding Klaus he was there. "I will go to the airport, you should stay here. I suspect the sisters are correct; he will see Caroline as nothing but a target being painted on his back, he will rid of her sooner rather than later."

"Your point?"

"She will be dropped off closer to Mystic Falls than anywhere else. I imagine you'd like to be the one to find her, no?" he smiled slyly. Klaus pulled a face, but agreed. "I also imagine you'd like to be the one to kill him, so I will bring him back alive."

Klaus grinned. Usually his pacifist brother would not have dreamed of being an accessory to his younger brother's torturing and killing. "Thank you, Elijah. He'll be on vervain though, I suspect. You might have to use some terrible methods."

He grimaced. "What must be done, must be done."

"Did you really just agree to that?" Rebekah demanded, shell shocked.

"With the life of Miss Forbes in the balance?" he snorted. "I wouldn't dream of going against our brother, I know for a fact he still has those daggers."

Rebekah burst out laughing. Klaus scowled at his brother's unusually sarcastic remark, but let it slide. He supposed he did have a point.

"Well, since Elijah is bailing on me, you two better come get a bin bag each, you're earning your keep." Rebekah lead them into the kitchen, informing them they were to help tidy their ruined house. He pointed out he could have his hybrids do it, but she retorted she was bored, and could suffer through his incessant brooding any longer. Sofia snorted, and Rosalia looked uncomfortable, but the three of them were soon shovelling wood shards and sweeping dust into bags. Elijah left for the airport, leaving Klaus to sit in his study, waiting on a phone call with a glass of scotch and gritted teeth.

* * *

Having pulled the curtains and dimmed the lights, Klaus's study was in an gloomy state of darkness. The usually well lit decor and intricate woodwork was now thrown into shadow, giving it a haunted vibe. He swirled his drink around, the amber liquid dancing in the glass.

A good twenty minutes had passed since Elijah left, and save for the moaning of Sofia and Rebekah in the next room, he had been left in beautiful silence. Alone with his thoughts, he had happily reminisced on the past few days that he had spent entirely dwelling on Caroline. Seeing her at the ball, his dress fitting her so delightfully. Hearing her drunken giggles as they chatted in the Grill. Waking up to her - even under the slightly uncomfortable circumstances - wishing him a good morning. Waking up to her again, in distinctly more pleasurable circumstances. _His girl.__  
_

He ached for her. He hated admitting it, even to himself, but his skin was screaming for her touch. Even the smallest of gestures, like running her thumb across the back of his hand, or resting her head on his chest, to the feeling of her mouth on his and the way she had pulled him down to meet her. He wanted to run his lips across the smooth skin of her stomach again, savouring every inch of her. He wanted to feel her back arch underneath him as he explored her body, running kisses down her neck. He craved her like a drug.

There was a faint knock on the door, before someone pushed it open. "I'm sorry, your sister said you would be in here."

Rosalia stepped into his study. Still in the throes of remembering the morning with Caroline, he awkwardly lent forward, hoping she hadn't noticed the raging erection he was hiding. Clearing his throat, he asked what he could do for her.

"I just wanted to know if you've heard anything about Caroline." she said quietly. "I hear I owe her my life, as well as you."

He nodded, indicating a chair in the corner. She sat down, gazing around his study. She was, now he noticed, quite pretty. She had quintessentially Italian olive skin, with glossy black curls that formed the most perfect of silhouettes. He wondered what she did as a human.

"I used to dream about being an artist." she said vaguely, her eyes lingering on a landscape.

"Why didn't you?"

"Wrong life, I suppose." she smiled. "When me and my sister were human, we lived in the tiniest of Italian villages, right on the shore, called Baia del Luna. Our mother was a brothel owner, we had no time for art. Mother used to say the body was art, we need no paint, for we live in the house of bodies."

He contemplated her for a moment. She was oddly intelligent for a madame's daughter, with a keen taste for knowledge and none of the fire that would entail such a life. "I never would have guessed."

"Sofia says I'm too innocent to have come from such a world, but she forgets what it was like. It wasn't dirty like it is now, the girls were admired and envied, not scorned." she shook her head disdainfully.

"Did you..?"

She laughed. "Never. Mother said I had better prospects, but in fact, Sofia worked, if I did too, she would have been alone for long periods of time and she didn't want that."

They both fell into an easy silence, Klaus sipping at his drink, Rosalia admiring his art. The younger Trigiani was surprisingly easy to talk to, much more so than her older sister. He'd always liked Italy, and Italians. They overdid everything; food, drink, art, culture, music. It was a whole new world, so different to the subtly of French beauty, or the boisterous American lifestyle. Everything was so, just for the pleasure of it. He would take Caroline to Italy when this was done.

"I am sorry, Klaus." she said suddenly. "Sofia thinks I am ridiculous for staying with Adam for so long, and she's right, I suppose. But every girl secretly dreams of that guy. The one no one approves of. It's a preposterous way to live, but it's dangerous and thrilling and exhilarating. You've seen how she is with me... Adam trusted me and expected me to be like him, and I lived up to those expectations. It wasn't smart, but that's the kind of love it is. It's impulse. It's passion. I think it's the strongest love there is, and if it's requited, it's _infinite_."

She caught his eye, and immediately began blushing and excusing herself. "I'm sorry... that was so inappropriate. I'll leave you to it, I just wanted to escape our sister's bickering." She hurried out his study without another word, leaving him slightly stunned.

_Wise little girl,_ he thought. Leaning back, he held his face in his hands. What was this girl doing to him? He'd started relating to love songs and getting flustered over the ramblings of a love-sick teenage vampire. She was driving him out of his mind. He checked his phone again. No messages, no phone calls.

_Come back to me, Caroline_, he thought desperately._ Please, come back to me._


	9. Riddle

AN: In celebration of this story having 50 followers **((**squeeeel)), I will be releasing two chapters today! Thank you so much for everyone who has reviewed, followed and favourited this fic, it means so much to me! :)

Klaus simmered in his own internal conflict, the younger Trigiani's words spinning in his mind, wondering if she had really been talking about her and Adam, for a good half an hour. After this, he had given up and followed Rosalia back into the living room, where his sister and her new best friend were sat, snapping at each other.

Rebekah was renowned for her short temper and sharp tongue, but Sofia held her own with a casual arrogance that made him wonder if she might have been the female embodiment of Kol. His youngest brother, who had reappeared from upstairs alone, was leant against the wall, looking at the elder Trigiani sister in a way that he'd quite like to have a bit of him in her.

Despite himself, the corners of his mouth turned up a little; it looked like _two_ of his siblings might have met their match in Sofia. Actually, looking at the girls sat next to each other – one impeccably groomed and dressed like she was ready for fashion shoot, and the other with what might have been brushed hair in a tank top and a pair of jeans – they rather reminded him of yin and yang. _Opposites attract_, he thought, thinking of Caroline was the umpteenth time that day.

The living room had, despite the constant sniping at each other, been almost restored to it's former, if slightly more minimalist, glory; most of the wood shards were off the floor, it had been dusted, and there was several bin bags cluttering one corner. Many of the ornaments that once adorned the tables and walls and mantelpiece were probably stuffed in those bags. A hour with a couple of hybrids and it'd be back to new.

He looked with dismay at the ruined painting that had hung above the fireplace, cut into shreds. It wasn't particularly expensive and by no means famous, only an abstract landscape piece by a local artist he'd found when travelling in the 1960's. He'd fallen in love with the rich, autumnal colours that contrasted with the dashes of jet black. He'd have to pick up some new pieces. Maybe Caroline could choose a few; it was be the perfect excuse for an outing to New York. _Infinite_. Rosalia's words echoed in his head loudly at even the thought of holding her hand, walking her through New York, marvelling at her zest for life.

His daydream of walking her through Central Park was interrupted by the feeling of his phone vibrating against his leg. Rebekah fell silent, holding up a hand to shut Sofia up too. He heard Kol take a deep breath and a sip of his drink. Somehow, their concern only worsened his, especially Kol's. It was not like his younger brother to be bothered by anything, least of all the personal lives of his siblings. Feeling everybody's eyes on him, he tentatively pulled his phone out his pocket.

He had one text message, from Caroline.

**Find me where the river runs red**

**(from the blood of those you left dead)**

**I bring death where I brought life**

**(well, a cousin of mine might)**

**On the road to Sobered Tying**

**(you may find her crying) **

**She looks pale; what is amiss?**

**(she might need something stronger than a kiss)**

**Ciao, Adz xox**

Klaus gently placed his phone on the sofa where his sister and Sofia sat. He could feel every inch of his skin vibrating, every ounce of his blood boiling and racing through his veins and his muscles clenching. His teeth gritted, his jaw jumped. He felt his fangs emerge and his eyes turn yellow in a fit of pure, uncontrollable rage. H picked up one of the surviving coffee table in one hand, and threw it across the room with a roar, making it splinter into a hundred pieces and causing the plaster of the wall to powder and chip onto the floor.

"Nik, please." he sister begged, but she had significantly less control over her brother than the oldest of the siblings did, and he was on his way to the airport. "What is it?"

"At least he saved the phone." Kol said lightly, his mouth daring to form a smile.

"Yes, the phone. So he can send me yet more _riddles_ as to her whereabouts!" Klaus's voice had reached an almost unheard level of rage. Sofia jumped back, her face paling. She interlinked her fingers with those of her sisters. Rosalia looked nigh on passing out or throwing up in blind fear as she unconsciously backed away from Klaus with widening eyes.

"Riddles?" Kol's brow furrowed. "Pass me the phone, Bekah."

He caught the phone, scanning the text. He let out a low whistle. "You sure know how to bring out the psychopath in people. I like the kisses, sarcastic twat." he muttered, rolling his eyes.

"If it's a riddle, we should solve it." Rebekah suggested meekly, even her a little afraid as Klaus hovered above her, his eyes having bled yellow and his fangs baring. Kol read it out. "Well, the first bit is obvious. She's near a river, probably with the bodies of the guys you killed earlier in, I'm guessing."

Klaus sighed impatiently. "Do you know how many rivers there are in this state alone?" Hundreds. Adam would be in Beijing before they'd searched half of them.

"Okay, well try the second bit." Kol said quickly, passing over his sister's blatant comment in fear of angering an already close to transforming Niklaus. "'I bring death where I brought life, well, a cousin of mine might'."

The group sat in frustrated silence, the only sound Klaus's growling. He should have guessed something like this might have happened. Adam was too cocky, too much of a glory hunter to simply drop her off on the side of the road. No, he needed a show. A showdown of sorts. He needed to leave Klaus confused and frustrated while he flew off to wherever he pleased with the knowledge that he'd outsmarted the Original Hybrid. Klaus snorted. He could only pray Elijah found him before he boarded, and Adam could only pray for mercy.

"Could it be an oak tree?"

Klaus turned to Rosalia, who flinched under his yellowed gaze. He retracted his fangs, allowing his eyes to return to their normal stormy blue. He felt an odd protectiveness over the young girl that up until now, only Rebekah had inspired. She was quiet, and who was he to intimidate her like that? He shook his head disbelievingly. _Caroline, what are you doing to me?_ "An oak tree?"

"Yes. I mean, you can be killed by a white oak stake, so it brings death. But didn't your mother use the white oak as a material in the spell that made you? So it once brought life, but now brings death. I mean, technically, white oak is in the same family as normal oak, right?" she smiled awkwardly at Klaus's widening grin.

"Thank the gods you didn't kill this one, I never would have got that." Kol rubbed his hands together.

"So where the hell is Sobered Tying? Or what is it?" Sofia said incredulously. "I've never heard of anywhere called it."

"Well, it's capitalised. So it's certainly a place." Kol mused.

_Or a destination_, Klaus thought irritably, gritting his teeth in frustration. God, he hated this. He hated being at the mercy of such a trivial things as a riddle. He wasn't thinking straight, or he might have been able to solve it in seconds. Adam probably banked on that. He was sly.

"Wait a minute..." Rebekah's face lit up, grabbing a news paper and a pencil off the floor where they had fallen off the coffee table Klaus had destroyed. Elijah had obviously been at the crosswords again. She began scrawling on the sides rapidly, shaking her head, cross it out and starting again. She bit her lip, brow furrowed as she analysed what she was writing. He wished he could ever make out his sister's illegible script.

After a good ten minutes of scribbling and cross out, Rebekah let out a squeal of excitement. "Ah ha ha! I've got it!"

"Okay, Einstien, wanna share?"

"On the road to _Stoneybridge_. It's an anagram!" she jumped in her seat gleefully.

"Isn't Stoneybridge like a tiny town not far from here?" Sofia inquired. Klaus nodded, beaming at his sister. He would have forgiven her any crime in that moment.

"Only one road in and out." Kol grinned. "And you get a nice view of the Samwell River on the way."

"What about the last bit? Something being 'amiss'?" Rosalia muttered. "Why would she be pale?"

Klaus stopped. Why _would_ she be pale? Caroline was already pale, so... light? Had he redressed her into something white? His hands clenched into fists at the idea of that scum touching her. Even looking at her. And what was 'amiss'? What was missing?

His stomach dropped._ He wouldn't dare._ "We have to leave." he said sharply. "Now." The only thing Caroline might be missing, causing her to cry and become pale was blood.

'Something stronger than a kiss'. Like a bite. That bastard. He'd drained her.

"Why? Why all of us?" Rebekah looked puzzled.

"It doesn't matter, just someone come with me!" She just continued to give him a blank look. He groaned. "Sobered _Tying_? What, do you think she's just sat in a tree?! I might need someone's help getting her down." He began to walk towards the garage, not caring who followed him. Funnily enough, they all did.

"I'll come." Kol said quickly. "Rosalia, you should too. Let's leave the bickering twosome here to guard the fort." Rebekah and Sofia snarled at Kol, but none the less turned to walk back inside. Klaus swore he heard his sister laugh at a joke – probably at his expense – that Sofia muttered.

Klaus nodded his agreement vaguely; all he cared about was getting to Caroline. Getting to hold her close to his chest, place a kiss on the top of her head and apologise for everything he'd done. For ever allowing her to be put in harm's way. He'd even let Kol drive back, so as she may try and get some sleep on his lap during the journey home. He'd run his fingers through her hair and promise to never let anyone hurt her like this again. He'd take her home, give her a blood bag, and she could fall asleep with her head on his chest and her fingers so lightly caressed his skin. He vowed, then and there as Kol slipped into the passenger side front seat and Rosalia climbed into the back, that he would never let any harm befall her again. After all, she was his girl.

_**AN: I was writing this for ages; it just didn't seem long enough. I tried to pad it out a little bit, sorry about the measly length though! Don't let it put you off reviewing though my lovlies ;)**_


	10. The Tree of Hanging, Flirting & Rescuing

_**AN: This one is a little longer and less dialogue heavy, so I hope you all enjoy it! Thank you so much for your continued support through this, you are so lovely :) **_

Stoneybridge was one of those tiny towns you happen across when you run out of petrol late at night and end up walking for hours looking for a gas station. It'd take you completely by surprise; a world whole and entire to herself, the isolation provided the most excellent opportunities for the culture to be utterly unique. The houses were built of thick, grey stone in rectangles with sturdy roofs and immaculate gardens, many probably still standing from when the first settlers called it home. It was surrounded entirely by forest, nestled in the trees like a mystery waiting to be discovered. It was no more than an hour from the nearest town, but somehow, everyone managed to avoid it, like a tiny undiscovered gem in a whole sea of coal.

Klaus cruised down the only road in and out of Stoneybridge, his window wide open, head hanging out. Tall trees rose up around them, causing a thick, green wall to be built on either side of his car, seemingly endless. The dark green contrasted so beautifully with the crystal blue of the cloudless sky, and under different circumstances, Klaus might have even felt inspired but such a place, so untouched by man, save for the road his car was on. But he would never look at it without remembering how he had to hand his head out the window, trying to catch a whiff of decomposing bodies, or the slightest trace of Caroline on the wind.

Kol had already voiced how he was suppressing making several dog jokes at the sight, causing Rosalia to giggle. They were both doing the same, however. Rosalia propped herself up on the back seat so as to raise her head out of the sunroof, while Kol all but sat in the open window, hanging precariously on to his door. Klaus couldn't help but smile at them; once a teenager, always a teenager.

After ten minutes of driving, Klaus could hear the gentle sounds of Samwell River lapping at it's banks. Pulling the car over, he set off in the direction of the river. Now he out of the car, the wind no longer howling in his ears and blowing the right smells in the wrong directions. He could hear everything very clearly, see every sight and every smell was sharp and tangy. He felt completely in his element; he was in the hunt.

He could almost feel Kol resisting the temptation to make tracker dog jokes as he helped Rosalia over fallen trees and streams. Maybe he had misinterpreted which sister Kol was taking a liking to.

"Caroline!" he yelled out with all his might. His voice echoed around, bouncing off every trunk and leaf and rock and solid object it found.

"Wow, I guess a hybrid's quack really does echo." Kol muttered, making Rosalia snort.

"Shut up, you two." he snapped. He turned his ear to the forest, desperately listening for any noise, any sign of response, a sigh of life.

His head snapped up at the faint calling of his name. He glanced at Kol, who nodded, pointing north-west of him. The sound had apparently gone unnoticed by Rosalia, who was looking perturbed at Kol.

"Caroline, I need you to keep calling my name." Klaus yelled, quieter this time, for he knew she could hear him. Even drained, she was still a vampire.

She dashed to where he heard her voice, but the echoes and the wind were throwing him off. For ten minutes, he raced to a different tree, a different part of the forest, all the time hearing her agonised screams and desperate pleas for help, begging for him to find her.

With a frustrated yell, he put his fist clear through the trunk of a tree, sending a crazed flurry of birds exploding out of the foliage, black dots on a blue sky. But it was the young girl who made a wise suggestion.

"Adam said an oak tree, right?" he suggested. "Why don't we get a bird's eye view? A lot of these trees are evergreen, you'll spot an oak in seconds from up there."

"Bet you're glad I made her come along." Kol smirked. Klaus scowled, but shot Rosalia a smile. She blushed in response, encouraging more playful jibes from Kol.

He scaled the nearest tree with relative ease; it had been a long time since he had climbed trees, and there was a momentary flash of exhilaration, and a shot of childhood nostalgia. Climbing as far up the tree as the thinning branches would allow, he was granted a stunning vision beyond memory. He scanned the treetops, he recognised many types of trees, but he had to search had for an oak.

It was tall, majestic, the stereotypical tree a child would draw. A long trunk, and the most perfect, rounded thick ball of leaves in a fluffy cloud shape. But it's beauty was lost on him as he saw the ropes tied thickly around one of the sturdier looking branches.

He called out to Kol, but the pair of them were in the treetop next to him. He indicated the ropes, before taking a deep breath. _Nothing can kill me_, he reassured himself. That didn't mean that misjudging this wouldn't hurt like a bitch. And Caroline would laugh her ass of at him.

Leaning back, he lunged himself through the air. The feeling was momentarily heart-stopping, and he almost missed the sensation when he hit the tree he was aiming for. He dug his feet and claws into the bark to stop himself from sliding down the trunk – and risking the worst splinters in the history of man – before settling, gauging his distance to the next tree.

"You're mad, brother!" he heard Kol yell from behind him. Klaus looked over his shoulder, just in time to see him flying through to air to follow suite. He judged it flawlessly, but his landing was... off.

He hadn't been so lucky, spiralling down the tree at break-neck speed before managing to slow himself. His clothes had been shredded, his hair resembled a bird's nest and the girl he had come so close to wooing was doing all she could to not fall out the tree laughing. Kol had also, conveniently, managed to find the most bird-infested tree in the forest. They flapped and squawked and pecked and clawed their way out the tree, leaving Kol in an even sorrier state, and Rosalia wiping tears from her face.

He shook a feather from his hair. "Care to join me, sweetheart?" She laughed, mouthing 'Not a chance' at him.

"_Do you not have another time to practice your acrobatics?_" Caroline screamed. At first, the sound brought nothing but horror and guilt into his heart, but he heard the humour that tainted her voice and the laughs that proceeded it.

"Kol, I'll need you to give me a hand with this."

In less than a minute – and with considerable less drama – the brothers made their way to the oak tree. Klaus groaned; Adam hadn't made this easy for them.

Caroline had been tied at the ankles, which in turn had been tied on a 6" length of rope attached to the tree, meaning no one could just reach and pull her up. She was also nowhere near any other branches, so she couldn't be pushed. Neither could she climb, as her hands had been tied across her chest in a style that reminded Klaus of ancient Egyptian mummies.

"Any chance you could stop admiring his talented knot work and get me down, guys?" she sighed. Klaus huffed. There was only one thing he could see happening, and he didn't see Kol liking it very much. He braced himself for an earful, before pushing Kol off the ranch they were precariously sat on.

He let out a yelp, much like that of a puppy, Klaus noted with some satisfaction, before his older brother caught him by the ankles. Lowering himself on to his stomach so that he was balanced across the branch on his torso, Klaus carefully lowered Kol down so he was face to face with Caroline.

"He hasn't tied you to the tree too, has he?" he heard her ask, tutting.

"If you drop me, I will desiccate you, dagger you, stake you, and bury your body at the bottom of the Indian Ocean." he snarled.

"Shut up, Kol, just undo her hands." Klaus snapped. "Right, now Caroline, I need to you hold on to Kol _very tightly_. Don't worry, you can shower when you get back to our house." he added.

Once she was securely attached to his brother (not something he ever thought he'd be glad of), Klaus manoeuvred himself so he was half squatting on the branch, and heaved to pull the two vampires up. Kol wrapped his legs around the branch so that Klaus could offer a hand to Caroline, which she gladly took. He pulled her up first, then helped his brother return the right way round.

Once Kol was secure, Klaus turned his full attention to Caroline. He pulled the rope tying her feet together into shreds, discarding it on the forest floor. Cupping her face in his hands, he saw the tear stains that littered her cheeks, the eerie whiteness that had become of her skin, the blackening veins around her darkening eyes and the fangs that threatened to escape at any moment.

Without a word, he bit into his wrist, offering it to her. She looked hesitant, before cautiously bringing her lips to his forearm. She had drank from him before, but only when she was dying, not when she was hungry. He felt slightly like he might be tainting her innocence. But when he felt her drinking from him hungrily and desperately, clutching his arm to her mouth he could barely even form coherent sentences, never mind argue moral values. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with his spare hand so as to occupy, not trusting it not to tangle itself in her hair and caress her neck.

When she was done, she placed the smallest and most discreet of kissing on the open wound she had so freely fed from. He gripped the branch tightly so as not to fall off. Kol may not have noticed her kiss, but he noticed his brother tense up beside him. Mercifully, he put his brain to work _before_ his mouth, letting Klaus go with only a knowing smirk.

"You must be Caroline!" came the cheery voice of Rosalia. She walked fearlessly along the branch towards them, her shoes in one hand, the other outstretched to balance herself, not that she needed it. She looked otherworldly at home in the tree as she walked on the balls of her feet unshakably, and with the lilac dress she sore so well, she very much looked for wood nymph than vampire. "I hear I owe you my life, and that of my sister."

"You must be Rosalia." she grinned, the colour already returning to her cheeks from feeding from Klaus.

"Are you a vampire or a cat or some weird tree creature slash seductress?" Kol laughed. Rosalia walked up beside him, before lifting one leg up so she balanced solely on the ball of a single foot in an almost perfect adage. In what was a highly simplistic but extremely visually effective move, she slowly pivoted her body so that while remaining poker straight, her head was level with Kol's. Her black curls cascaded down her face and she gazed at him with those knowing, brown eyes. Kol looked beyond shell shocked at the display, forcing Klaus to stifle his laughs. Caroline seemed to be facing a similar issue.

"Kol, I am no cat. But first and foremost, I am Italian." she smiled slyly. In a spectacular display of balance and athleticism, she tipped, gripping the branch with her hands and maintained entirely straight limbs as she did a 360 degree flip back into standing position. "And we were made for dancing."

Klaus and Caroline were howling at Kol as he simply stared at her, and for what seemed to be the first time in a thousand years, was rendered utterly speechless.

"Definitely wrong sister." Klaus muttered to himself.

Caroline looked at him quizzically, before adding; "Definitely seductress." with a smirk.

~.~.~.~

Klaus had dropped by Caroline's place so she could grab a few things, namely a change of clothes and her phone charger. He struggled to believe that only this morning, at a very cruel hour, he had discussed a plan of action with the Salvatores and their backing singers. Since then, he'd slept with Caroline, broken into a prison, killed three men, freed his family, made two allies and saved Caroline from starvation while sat in an oak tree. He gazed at her fondly as she rammed several items of clothing and other random items into a bag and leaving a vague note for her mother telling her she was a friend's; _never a dull moment, is there love? _he thought happily, despite it all. He had been shocked to find the sun going down, but now he thought about his day properly, it was a miracle it wasn't coming back up already.

The short drive back to the mansion had been spent catching her up on all the mayhem she had missed during her 'outing', as Kol so fondly called it. Klaus had got him back by wondering aloud how it was possible someone who had been dead for a thousand years could blush quite as furiously as Kol did after Rosalia danced back down the tree.

Thankfully, Adam's friends did not feel the need to destroy all the rooms in the house. Klaus showed Caroline to hers, assuring her she could stay as long as she needed. She looked him dead in the eye, before dropping her bag and rushing over to him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling the curve of his shoulder as he snaked his arms around her waist. For a long moment they simply stayed there; him feeling her gentle breath on his neck, wrapping his arms around her tighter, so she would press herself even closer to him and he could feel the beating of her heart against his in the most delicious of rhythms.

"What's this for, love?" he asked gently, kissing her temple.

"I just want to say thank you, you're always saving me."

He disentangled himself from her grip, cupping her face. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Caroline, I cannot pretend saving you isn't for some terribly selfish reasons. For instance, if I let you die, I could never hold you again, could I?"

Her face broke out into an angelic smile. "And also, if this is the thank you I get for saving you, I might start putting you in danger on purpose..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence as she was kissing him like she had never kissed him before. She tangled her hands in his hair, smiling beneath his mouth in the most adorable of ways. He pressed her to him again, desperate for her touch. Her hands slid down his neck and his body to creep up the inside of his shirt. He could resist the gasp that escape his mouth when he felt the electrifying touch of her fingertips on his bare abdomen. Slowly, he ran his tongue across her bottom lip, before biting it ever so gently. She moaned into his kiss, caressing his own mouth with her tongue. He let his hands rest on her hips as his mouth began to travel down her neck...

"Niklaus." His older brother's voice, near impossible to hear, broke his focus. Caroline didn't hear it, judging from the way she was still exploring his torso with her hands.

He groaned, realising he'd have to leave her. She withdrew her hands immediately, thinking she'd done something wrong. He shook his head, interlinking their fingers.

"I'm sorry, love. It's Elijah."

"Your brother?" she mused. "I've heard 'It's not you, it's me' and 'I still love my ex' but this is the first time..."

"Shut up." he said playfully, pressing his lips back against hers. "It could be important, so try not to be too," he indicated her, pointing up and down her body. "_you_. It's distracting."

He went to walk out, and she came up behind him, wrapping her arms his waist, allowing her hands to caress his stomach. He groaned in frustration. "Caroline, you will be the death of me." He quickly threw her over his shoulder in a fireman's lift, ignoring her protest, and they both went downstairs laughing.


	11. Across the Pond

_**AN: Thank you again to all my wonderful reviewers! Special thanks to QuikChik for her ever wonderful reviews, and Crystal for her words of praise. And of course thank you to all my lovely guest reviewers :)**_

Klaus placed a giggling Caroline on the counter in the kitchen, causing Elijah to raise an eyebrow at him. Her hair was ruffled from being held upside down over his shoulder, and her venture in the woods had left more than one leaf stuck in it. Her cheeks were flushed, chest heaving from laughing and trying to squirm out of his arms. One could have been forgiven for believing that he'd just had his way with her in the back garden.

His older brother eyed him with a mixture of confusion and amusement, before turning to Caroline. "Miss Forbes, it seems proper conversation keeps eluding us. Pleasure to meet you." He held out his hand.

"Pleasure is all mine." Caroline smiled, taking Elijah's hand in her own, which he promptly kissed.

"So, Elijah," Klaus said while picking bits of foliage from Caroline's hair. "where is our dear friend Adam?"

His brother cleared his throat before continuing. "I'm afraid the situation is a little more complicated than previously anticipated."

"How so?"

"When I got to the airport, he had already departed." Elijah said shortly. "He had compelled most of the airport staff, but it's a big place, and I managed to find someone... willing to share a few details."

"You're stalling. What happened, Elijah?" Klaus ceased pulling leaves from Caroline's hair, simply resting his hand on her shoulder, running his thumb over the crook of her neck. He grimaced at the worry on her face; Adam had seen what going after her had done to Klaus once already. He knew that she was imagining every other situation where she could be exploited. He winced, knowing she must be terrified.

"Adam left on a private plane. It was registered to a Jennifer Mason." Elijah's jaw clenched.

"So he compelled himself a private plane?" he chuckled. "That's ballsy."

His brother shook his head in dismay. "I talked to a member of staff, who told me that Jennifer Mason was a regular at the airport. And that she has a son, called Adam."

Klaus felt his jaw tense. Elijah was right; this complicated things slightly. This meant that Adam and his friends may not just have been a handful of overambitious vampires, but actually a task force sent by a leader. Perhaps, a mother. How had he not known this?_ Stupid man_, he cursed himself. He never let himself get into a fight without all the facts. He remembered the two girls sat in his living room, both of which probably knew all of this.

He ground his teeth. "Rosalia! Sofia!" he yelled angrily. Caroline jumped back at the sudden increase in volume.

The sisters appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. He indicated for them to sit at the breakfast bar, and they did so unquestioningly. Good. At least they have the decency not to get on his nerves right now. He doubted that they'd survive if they did.

"Tell me everything you know about Adam." he snapped. "Everything."

Sofia looked helplessly at her sister, who looked terrified. Klaus glared at her, and she soon began talking. "He was born and turned in England in the late 1600's, I don't remember specific years." she began talking quickly. "He has two blood siblings – a brother called James and a sister called Ruby – and he is the youngest of the three. His father died before he was born, his mother was turned when he was six."

"Are his siblings vampires too?" Klaus snapped incredulously.

"Yeah, but..."

"You didn't think to tell me?" he snarled.

"No, it wasn't relevant." Rosalia looked close to tears under his stony expression.. "Honestly, I swear..." Sofia took her sister's hand, glaring at Klaus.

"Adam is kind of the black sheep of the family, he hasn't spoken to them in years." she said coldly, saving her little sister from further distress. "Something to do with how he 'compromised the honour of the Mason family', or along those lines." she imitated in a smug, British accent.

The room fell to near silence. He could hear Elijah's teeth grinding in frustration or worry. Probably both. He could hear Rosalia breathing slowly and deeply, trying to stop herself from shaking. He could hear Sofia muttering some of the less flattering things about his personality under her breath as she tried to comfort her sister. He couldn't hear Caroline, but he could feel her lips drawing shapes on his hands which still rested on her shoulder, occasionally planting the softest of kisses on his skin. He glanced at her nervously, knowing full well she would be less than impressed by his show of anger and intimidation, but she only looked up with understanding eyes and a smile that would have had him on his knees if they were alone.

He sighed, leaning against the counter next to her. She smiled, shuffling closer so she could rest her head on his shoulder. With her hands rested at her sides, he could see her forearms. His muscles tensed at the sight of the red lines that ran from wrist the elbow on both arms, the cuts that Adam had made in her that hadn't quite healed. Gently, he ran a finger along one of them, barely touching the skin for fear of hurting her. He knew in his mind it wouldn't – they were all but healed – but he hardly allowed their skin to touch, as if pressing too hard would reopen the wounds.

He spotted her out of the corner of his eye, watching him with morbid curiosity as he caressed the slits in her arms. Catching her eye for just a second, he muttered; "I'm sorry."

"What for?" she whispered.

"I promised you I wouldn't let anyone touch you." he sighed, leaning his head against hers. "Don't tell Bonnie, she'll kill me. Literally."

She chuckled, entwining her arm with his. "She wouldn't dare."

"Am I that scary?" Klaus smirked.

"Oh, no. Bonnie knows not to get on _my_ bad side though."

He laughed, loud enough to cause Elijah to shoot him an inquisitive look. Shaking his head, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing her to him. "You would help me?"

She scoffed, pulling away to look a him. "Klaus, I thought you were supposed to be like, super-brainy-smart. How many times have you saved me now?" she said, rolling her eyes.

He felt his face morph into an ear-to-ear grin before he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"How do you believe we should approach this problem, brother?" Elijah's voice stirred him from a decidedly euphoric moment.

"Well, I suppose you also discovered the destination of Ms Mason's flight?"

"Yes, London."

"Well then," Klaus said cheerily, squeezing Caroline's shoulder. "I believe 'the problem' is several thousand miles away. Let's leave Adam to lick his wounds. I doubt four vampires pose that much of a problem from that distance."

"Klaus?" Sofia said nervously.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "It sounds strongly like you're about to tell me some bad news."

She paused. "There's not just four of them."

~.~.~.~

_Meanwhile, in London..._

The familiar song of the British capital filled the air in a way that might have been annoying once, but it was the theme tune to home now. The melodious singing of cars – engines and horns and screeching tires – mixed with the chattering of tourists and residents alike and blended with the hum of the River Thames, it's waters lapping at the boats that sailed down her. James hung his head out of his bedroom window, taking in every sight and smell and sound as if he'd never seen or smelt or heard them before.

"You just can't get enough of exhaust fumes and sewage, can you?" His sister's voice pulled her back from his day dreaming, causing him to scowl at her.

James and Ruby were twins, born together, living together. However, never had too different people been alive. While she was cruel and blunt, he was nostalgic and curious. They may have shared the mahogany coloured hair, the grey eyes and the white as snow skin, they shared little more than a London residence.

"London is our home, Ruby." he said sharply. "Take a moment from being bitter and enjoy her."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. She would never bore of her brother's incessant interest in the city. It was somewhat endearing, if a little adorable, and more than a little amusing.

"You haven't redecorated." she noted.

"I like the white." he turned around to face her. "It's clean."

"It'll stain." she pointed out, picking up a white silk cushion from his bed and inspecting it. He chuckled at her disdain, remembering how quickly she had torn out the white furnishings. The walls had been painted black, the floor relaid in a distressed white wood. It had been furnished in black and white, the room filled with modern art and paintings and chandeliers and mirrors. All accented with gold. If his sister was anything, she was extravagant.

"I can't believe we're living in a _flat_." she spat the last word out.

"It's not a flat, Ruby. It's a penthouse. Anyway, you know mother's reasoning..." he groaned. They had gone over this a thousand times.

"Yes, yes, I know." she snapped. "'Just enough status to stop the vampires asking questions, not so much the humans start'." she recited the words Jennifer had repeated on more than one occasion.

The Westminster penthouse breached eight figures, not that they had paid for it obviously. James imagined that at least three of the zeros on the end came from the view; they could see Big Ben and the London Eye without straining, as well as The Shard (despite his mother's claims it was a modern atrocity, a smear on the view) and the horse guard. The rest of the price derived from the nine bedrooms it boasted, all decorated to the nines in monochrome colours, a delightful twist on modern and period design. James had secretly fallen in love with it the second he had seen it, but the beauty had been lost on his sister.

"It'll be crowded when Adam comes home." he said quietly, trying to tempt her into a subject she was reluctant to touch on.

"Well, if he's here, I wont be, so you wont have to worry." she smiled sweetly.

"He's your brother, Ruby..." he groaned.

"By blood, only." she snarled. "He turned his back on this family when he brought that Italian tramp into _our_ home, and then he took her by the hand and ran away to America with her. No note, no phone call, nothing."

"It's been forty years, sister." he sighed. "There are people here who haven't even met him. How long will you continue to hold this grudge?"

Right on cue, his youngest half-sister stepped into the room. "Mum just called, she's just got on the plane with Adam."

He smiled at the little blonde. "Thanks, Sarah. How was school?" The fifteen year old beamed at him from under her unkempt dusty blonde fringe, her blue eyes gazing happily at him. He'd bonded with Sarah the minute he met her; with her dirty face and sharp tongue, fresh of the streets of London, she was already smart for her age and unnervingly accepting of their lifestyle. She'd lived with them for nine years now, and it was truly magical to see her grow from a suspicious street child to a young woman with a zest for life.

"It was okay, I still don't see why I have to do history." she grinned. "You could probably teach me twice what they do, and I wouldn't feel inclined to sleep through it either."

"If mother finds out you've been sleeping in school, she'll give you an earful." he warned her sharply, but he dissolved under her smile again. He shook his head at her, laughing. "Go, don't you have homework to do?"

She grinned at him again, before disappearing up to her room. James watched her go with a touch of sadness. He was more than aware of _his sister_ watching _him_ with a touch of curiosity.

"You really like her, don't you?"

"To think, three more years and she'll be just like us She'll be the eleventh." he mused, more to himself than to Ruby. "I wonder how she'll take it."

"It's a better life, James."

"Do you ever thin it's morbid?" he turned on her suddenly. "What mother does?"

Ruby shrugged. "I think she takes kids who are already dead, and yeah, maybe she actually kills them, but where would Sarah be if she wasn't here? In an orphanage, eating porridge three times a day? Not living in a good penthouse with a _brother who loves her_ and an eternity ahead of her."

~.~.~.~

Klaus took a moment to swallow what Rosalia had just informed him of. In a thousand years, he had met some vampire with questionable habits, messy eaters and those with a twisted sense of philosophy about their lives. However, he had never come across something like this.

"That's... horrific." Caroline stammered. "She's just raising kids like lambs for slaughter!"

"Yeah, but when you slaughter lambs, usually you eat them, as opposed to them eating you." Sofia shrugged. Caroline looked appalled.

"Let me get this straight. Jennifer Mason adopts human children who she sees fit, raises them and then turns them when they turn eighteen, essentially creating a twisted vampire family with her at the head." Elijah said slowly.

Rosalia nodded. "When me and Adam ran away forty years ago, she had made nine of these... children. I don't know how many there is now, Adam lost touch with his family after that."

Klaus let out a slow breath. So Jennifer Mason was the matriarch of a self-made vampire family. Her true children stayed by her side in London, but when her adopted sons and daughters were fully fledged vampires, ready to take on the world, they flew the nest. They could be anywhere.

That made him more than a little nervous. Rosalia mentioned they had almost as strong a sense of family loyalty as he and his siblings did, and perhaps in some twisted logic, these vampires would be loyal to Adam, and in turn, Adam's cause. Certainly some of the older ones who knew him before he left. It was possible that his mother was wrangling troops as they stood in this kitchen, plotting revenge.

"Klaus."

It would be a suicide mission to come at him head on now. Similarly, his siblings would be on watch for any dangers so soon after being taken like that. There was only one sensible way to to get to him right now...

"Klaus?"

He couldn't let any danger come to her. How many times had he had to save her life? And how many times was it because he had placed her in danger? Too many. Klaus shook his head; he refused to let anyone touch her now, now more than ever.

"Klaus, for the love of God!"

Caroline's voice startled him out of his train of thought.

"Jesus, selective hearing much?" he snapped. "I was just explaining how it was unlikely it is that Jennifer would organise an attack so soon after her son tried to kill us all, she'll anticipate us being on alert..." He opened his mouth to speak but she pressed her hand over his mouth, much to his brother's amusement. "and Elijah said it was a fair point so don't argue."

He sighed. Irrefutably stubborn as always. It made him smile. It was sometimes startling how Caroline refused to accept that he was the most dangerous being on the planet and could remove her head before she even saw his hand move. How she spoke to him like he was a child, reprimanding him like she was his mother. No one spoke to him the way she did and lived to tell the tale, but when she did, it was strangely cute. Even stranger was how he listened.

"I was just going to say that doesn't mean I'm letting you just go home tonight. They might be more stupid than we believe." he smiled.

"Smooth, brother." Kol nodded approvingly from the kitchen doorway. "Get in there."

"Oh, I think he already got in there this morn-" Sofia's jibe was cut short as Rosalia delivered a swift elbow to her solar plexus, causing her to double over, coughing.

"Wait, this morning?" His little brother looked stern for once in his life.

Klaus glanced at Caroline who was staring at the floor with unbroken determination, refusing to look at Kol. He heard Elijah groan.

"You mean you let me burn in a cell just so you could roll around in the sheets with her?" he snarled.

"Brother, I..."

"Atta boy, Nik." Kol smirked. "C'mon Elijah, would you have rather been inside a vervain filled prison cell or inside..."

"Watch you tongue before I pull it out." Klaus growled. Kol laughed as Rebekah joined him at his side.

"Nik, tell me I did not just hear that." she looked him dead in the eye.

Klaus looked back at Caroline, who's face had turned the most startling shade of red. He glanced at his sister, who looked like she was raring up to fight. "Fuck it." he muttered under his breath, sweeping Caroline off the floor and into his arms, he ran upstairs before his sister could strangle him. Slamming the door to her guest room, he dropped her on the bed, before looking the door and wedging it shut with a chair.

She looked shell shocked and a little motion sick from the quick dash up the stairs as Rebekah screamed through the door at them. "You left us to be tortured so you could get laid, you despicable... Argh!"

"Ignore her," he mouthed. "she'll go away in a minute."

He sat down on the bed beside her, and she sat up, shuffling towards him. Threading her arm through his, she looked at him apologetically. When he cocked his head at her, she nodded at the door, from which behind Rebekah was still screaming. Klaus only shrugged in response. He was used to his sister's temper tantrums, her constant screaming and yelling and moaning for the slightest thing. He did, at least, accept that his actions had been slightly selfish, but that should have counted for something.

He sighed, laying down on the bed. After he kicked his shoes off, he scooted up it so he could rest his head on the plush pillows. Caroline hesitantly laid down beside him, her fingers ever so slightly touching his arm. Rebekah showed no signs of letting up from her verbal assault, which infuriated Klaus. There was a thousand things he wanted to say to Caroline, and a thousand more he wanted to do, but he could say or do none of them with his sister in earshot.

So for now he was content to just lay next to here, gazing into the endlessly beautiful blue orbs of her eyes, admiring the spectrum of gold that shone through her hair. He was more than happy to listen to the gentle hum of her breathing as her eyes fluttered open and shut in her futile attempt to stop falling asleep.

"You should get some rest, it's been a long day, love."

She paused, before looking him dead in the eye with a face of concern. "I'm scared."

"I promise you," he said sincerely, taking her hand in his. "I will not allow any harm to come to you..."

She laughed lightly, shaking her head. "I'm not scared of Adam. I'm scared of being here."

"Of being with me?"

She looked sad and a little guilty. "It's just my stupid human side coming out, the neurotic, paranoid, insecure Caroline. I don't want to be _her_ again, I just don't want to have to wake up and realise none of it was real again and I know was just stupid and naive and..." He saw her getting more and more panicked as she went on. Her intertwined their fingers, using his free hand to turn her chin upwards so she looked him in the eye.

"This is real, Caroline." he said honestly. "Never in a thousand years has anything been more real." She gave a half smile, shuffling forwards so she could nuzzle into his chest. Something clicked in his mind. "What do you mean _again_?"

"When I was human, Damon dated me to get to Elena. He compelled me to let him bite me and... basically he compelled my every action for his benefit. When I was turned, it all came back." she whispered. "When I remembered it all, I could barely look at myself in the mirror, I felt so stupid."

Rage bubbled inside him like lava. How dare he? How dare he use her like that? He made a mental note to take special care in causing Damon Salvatore as much pain as he possibly could upon their next meeting.

"You're not allowed to kill him." she added with a smile, as if she was reading his mind.

"Why not?"

"Because he's Stefan and Elena's friend."

"You're infuriating sometimes." he pouted.

"Pot, kettle." she laughed. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her over him so they landed on the other side of the bed with her pinned down, trapped in his embrace.

"You're very mean sometimes." he muttered into the crook of her shoulder. She wriggled out of him arms so she could wrap hers around his neck. "But I'll forgive you."

Klaus pressed a kiss to her cheek, rolling over on to his back. She cuddled into his chest, her fingers clutching at the material of his shirt. Absently, he ran his fingers up and down her spine, drawing patterns and shapes on her back. He noticed the fuss from outside had died down.

"At least Rebekah has put a cork in it, love." he whispered cautiously – God forbid she start up again – and rested his chin on the top of her head. "You might even be able to get some..."

He paused, taking a moment to listen very carefully to her slowed heartbeat and shallow breathes. Smiling, he smoothed down her hair and kissed the top of her head.

"Sweet dreams, love." Maybe she heard him, because she held onto him even tighter, and she stayed that way until the sun came up.


	12. Insanity

_**AN: As the wonderful SittingOnTheEdgeOfTheUniverse pointed out – for the record, thank you for the otherwise wonderful review – I seem to have forgotten that killing an Original kills their entire bloodline. I'd like to tell you I did this on purpose, that I would have threaded it in to the story in a genius and subtle way but the truth is I completely forgot about it. For the sake of this story, I'm going to pretend that doesn't matter. I am so, so sorry about that, I totally slipped my mind. I hope it doesn't bother anyone too much.**_

Klaus awoke, instantly aware that there was something missing.

Caroline.

He sat bolt upright, fear piercing his heart. There was no way they could have sneaked in without him knowing, was there? He brought his head down to the space next to him; her scent was still strong. She hadn't long been there. A thought struck him, punching him in the chest in such a way that he actually held his breath for a moment. She had crept out. Of course she had, she was embarrassed. She would never lower herself to spending the night with him... not with prior knowledge, anyway. Fear quickly dissipated into anger, which soon after morphed into regret.

"Good morning, Miss Forbes. You are up early." Klaus heard his older brother's voice from downstairs in the kitchen.

"Morning, Elijah." she said nervously. He could almost hear the small smile in her voice. He let out a groan of relief, flopping back down on the bed. She hadn't left. "Can I ask a question?"

Klaus kept his ears sharp. It might have been rude to eavesdrop, but it was rude to give him a heart attack so early in the morning, so screw it. "How does... how does Klaus take his coffee?"

He almost let out a loud laugh. He heard Elijah chuckle at her. "I'm afraid Niklaus doesn't drink coffee, he's strictly tea and bourbon." he said. "Milk and two sugars though, in his tea."

Straining his ears, he heard the slightest increase in her heart rate, and listened intently for the cause. "I was really hoping you wouldn't say that." she muttered with a nervous laugh.

"Why is that?"

"You know, I'm... I'm American, we're practically _famous_ for making bad tea." she gave a forced laugh, clearly embarrassed. Klaus's grin practically stretched off his own face; not only was she making the effort to get up early and make him a drink, but she was worried about doing it badly. She really cared what he though. The idea sent shock waves through his body, making his head slightly fuzzy. _What is this girl doing to me?_ he asked himself, not for the first time recently.

"Miss Forbes, I hope I'm not stepping out of line when I say this, but I honestly believe that _you_ could bring Niklaus pond water, and he'd still like it."

Klaus made a mental note to thank his brother for that later. He heard all the noises of a cup of tea being made, followed by the delicate pitter-patter of her feet on the stairs. Smirking, he darted across the room silently, leaning up against the wall nearest the entrance. When she opened the door, he would be hidden.

Sure enough, she pushed open the door, before looking confused at the empty bed. He held his breath, ensuring he was totally silent as she crossed the room, placing the teas on the bedside table. As soon as the hot liquid was out of her hands, he sped behind her, grabbing her hips, wrapping his arms around her waist.

She squealed and bucked under his grip, spinning round at top speed before firmly pushing him, her hands planted on his collar bones. The eruption of adorable noises caught him off guard, and he stumbled back on to his ass before she was on top of him, digging a knee into his chest. She was snarling at him, her eyes blackened, her fangs plain as day.

It took a second or two for her to realise who it was, and as her face returned to normal, her look of aggression turned to one of anger. "Klaus, you _bastard_!" she snapped, digging her knee into his solar plexus a little harder, causing him to grunt as the air was pushed from his lungs.

"Morning, love." he beamed, shaking his head at her.

"Don't 'Morning, love' me, mister." she snarled. "You scared the hell out of me!"

He slid his hand across the back of her thigh, pulling it over his body before sitting up so she was sat in his lap. She looked resentful and angry – both emotions made very adorable by her – but her face softened as he cupped her cheek, running his thumb across her soft alabaster skin. She leant into him a little, nuzzling his palm.

"I'm still mad at you." she muttered. "Don't ever do that again."

"My apologise, love." he brought his other hand up to cup the other side of her face, before pressing his lips to her forehead. "I hear you made me tea."

She blushed, trying to look down, but his hands kept her in place and she awkwardly avoided his gaze. "I hope it's okay." she whispered.

Shaking his head with a smirk, he slid his hands beneath her legs, holding her against his hips as he stood up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck as he carried her to the bed, smiling shyly. The bed groaned as he laid her down on it, gently and softly resting her head on the plump, white pillow, smoothing her hair down affectionately.

He peeled his t-shirt off as she shuffled over to allow him to sit down next to her, awkwardly avoiding his bare chest. Pulling the covers up to their waists, he handed her a cup of the tea she made. She watched him take a sip of his anxiously.

He laughed at her nerves. "Don't worry, love. It's a good cuppa." he winked. A sigh of relief escaped her. "If it's any consolation, it's not American people that are bad at tea. The terrain in America means the water is much harder, affecting the taste."

They sat in amicable silence, drinking their tea, the surreality of the situation not lost on him. Here he was, laid in bed with a girl who had come into his world as an intended sacrifice, and nearly died at his hand multiple times. Her friends tried multiple times to kill him, yet she sat quite contently underneath the white sheets beside him. The sun had not long risen, and the beams that filtered through the large windows landed on the covers at their legs. Dust danced in a series of twirls and lifts, each particle glowing as if it were a firefly in the morning light. Between that and the girl next to him, it was arguably the most beautiful morning he'd seen in century's.

Klaus placed his empty cup on the side, Caroline quickly mimicking his actions. It was adorable, they way she remained nervous around him, even after the startlingly quick advance in their relationship over the past 48 hours. She glanced at him nervously, a shy smile creeping across her face as he offered her an arm. She shifted over, resting her head on his shoulder as he embraced her, ignoring the blush that came over her face when she came into contact with his bare skin.

"We should probably get up soon," he mumbled. "my brothers will undoubtedly want a plan of action against Adam and his family."

She grumbled, bringing her hand up to lightly caress his chest, pressing a kiss onto his shoulder.

"You know full well I'll never get out of bed if you keep doing that." he groaned as she ran the kisses up his shoulder, lingering on the crook of his neck.

He felt the smile form on her lips on his skin. "How do you know that's not the point?"

Grinning, he pulled her over him so she was cradled in his lap, giggling. "We seem to be making a habit of waking up together recently."

"Three times in two days." he considered fondly. "Not that I'm complaining."

She kissed him on the cheek, her lips achingly close to the corner of his mouth. "Me neither."

Klaus grumbled an incoherent complaint before tightly wrapping his arms around her, pressing her to his chest. He would, quite happily, lay in bed all day with her, sharing kisses and touches and without a doubt, snide remarks. He'd never been one for laying about, doing nothing, wasting time. Everything he did had a purpose. His life allowed little time for relaxing or 'duvet days'. He never stopped. Never stopped running, or hiding, or fighting, or plotting... he never had a reason to.

"I haven't taken a day off in a while, I suppose I could afford a lay in." he whispered into her hair.

"I suspect so." she smiled. "I bet being Dark Overlord of the Underworld comes with some good employee benefits."

In a flash, he had her pinned back to the bed with her hands above her head. She looked nervous, but there was a glint in her eye that did not go unseen. "What have I told you about being mean?"

Her hands struggled against his grip, but it was in vain. She looked determined as she wriggled, trying to to get herself free, but he simply lowered himself on to her, pressing her body down with his. The proximity caused some all too familiar stirrings in his lower body; the sight of her below him, the feeling of her moving against him, essentially grinding her hips on him was making it entirely difficult to concentrate. A moan escaped his lips as she bucked her hips, trying to throw him off her.

She gave him a quizzical look, clearly unaware of the effect she was having on him. Ducking his head down, he ran his lips up her neck before kissing just under her ear lobe. She giggled, realising the consequences of her actions, and slid her knee between his legs, pressing it into the inside of his thigh, and dangerously close to his groin.

"What happened to getting up soon?" she teased.

He bit down on her neck with his human teeth, pulling a gasp from her. "Fuck getting up soon, you've totally ruined that plan, love." he growled, nipping at her neck, running kisses from her ear to her shoulder, allowing his tongue to trail across her skin. Her muscles tightened under his touch, giving him a swell of satisfactory pride.

"Your family wont be happy if you neglect them again so you can... _spend time_ with me." she reminded him.

"Stop being so sensible." he muttered before covering her mouth with his. She kissed him back eagerly, struggling against his hands again.

"As much... as I am...enjoying this..." she mumbled in between kisses. "...I think...we should go... downstairs."

He stopped kissing her with a groan, resting his forehead against hers. "I could always compel you." he suggested. He regretted it soon after, seeing her raised eyebrow, her eyes instantly becoming slightly cooler. He could have kicked himself there and then. "I'm sorry, Caroline. That was... in bad taste."

"Just a bit."

"Are you positive you don't want me to kill him?" he suggested jokingly. In truth, nothing would have given him greater pleasure than feeling Damon Salvatore wither and die by his hands. Klaus felt the muscles in his jaw and across his back tighten and spasm in anger, despite his light tone.

She sighed at him, cupping his face with her hands. "I am hereby forbidding you to maim, torture or kill Damon. At least, permanently. Feel free to snap his neck." she added with a grin.

"I shall do so until the desire to stake him has passed." he declared happily, kissing her forehead.

She smiled at him, the look on her face suggestive that she knew better than to argue this point with him. _Smart girl_, he thought. Wrapping her arms around his back, she pulled him down to meet her, tightly holding him to her. Resting his head on her chest, he listened to the soft thumping of her heart against her chest and the slow song of her breathing. It was soothing.

Absently playing with his hair with one hand, the other caressed his back. Every inch of her skin that made contact with his sent an electric shock through his whole body, but not one that was in any way unpleasant. It was, in fact, divine.

After a few minutes – although not enough, by any stretch of the imagination – she heaved a sigh and shifted him off of her, sitting up. "Come on, get up."

"Do we have to?" he pouted.

"I am a mere 18 years old, Klaus." she laughed. "I would quite like to see my first century, but I'm willing to bet Rebekah would kill me before I reach the legal drinking age if I keep you here any longer."

"She wouldn't dare." he smiled, repeating her words from yesterday. Reluctantly, he peeled himself off of her, throwing on the top he had on yesterday as she climbed out of bed sleepily. She excused herself to the bathroom to clean up. Running a hand through his hair, deeming it fine for public appearance, Klaus made his way downstairs.

Rebekah, Elijah and Kol were already downstairs, his eldest brother silently reading a newspaper with a cup of tea in his hand, his little sister swirling some kind of juice around in a cup and Kol was twirling around in the stool at the breakfast bar like a twelve year old on a sugar high.

Rebekah looked up as he entered. "Ah, if it isn't our dear brother, doing the walk of shame in his own house." she smirked.

Kol laughed. "Have you seen her, sister? There would be no shame if I was walking away from her..."

Klaus growled a warning in the direction of his brother, retrieving a blood bag from the fridge. "I didn't sleep with her, Becca. Even if I did, it's hardly your business, is it?" he added menacingly.

"No, not this time." she smiled sweetly. "At least we're not being poisoned or burnt this time around."

Ignoring her bitter comment, he turned to his older brother. "I suppose you'll be wanting a plan."

"I think we both know the only thing to do is to go to London, and deal with the problem." he said, a slight hint of regret in his voice. Elijah, ever the moral warrior. "I don't relish this, but they managed to take most of this family. They represent a threat whether we like it or not."

"I know." he muttered, massaging the bridge of his nose. "We'll talk more later."

Disregarding the confused looks of his family, he trudged back upstairs with the blood bag in hand. He was in desperate need of a shower, but that could wait. All he wanted to do was crawl back into bed and hold Caroline against him until they needed to leave. He didn't want to go to London, he didn't want to do anything except continue down this path of potential self-destruction that he was finding himself on. Pushing open the guest bedroom door, he found her sat on the end of the bed, texting furiously.

The smile that broke across his face was not something he held any control over, for any worries he may have had over his feelings for the blonde in front of him disappeared like smoke on a windy day; she looked so natural sat there on his bed. She'd changed into a pale yellow summer dress and pulled her hair into a rough plait over her shoulder. One hand played with the end of her hair while the other scrolled down her phone, and she occasionally sighed or groaned. He noticed with a smile she'd also made the bed, and folded any discarded closes neatly, and placed them on the chair in the corner.

"What's up, love?"

Pausing in her mobile assault, she glanced up, smiling when she saw him. "Well, 17 missed calls and 21 texts from Elena, 9 missed calls and 14 texts from Bonnie, 6 missed calls and 10 texts from Stefan and 4 missed calls and..." she paused, looking mildly stunned. "32 texts from Damon. This is why I turned my phone off last night."

"Why is Damon so persistent in his texting?"

"Most of them are single word texts, mostly some kind of swear word." she rolled her eyes. "Like I said, feel free to snap his neck any time. I'm just doing some damage control, explaining I'm fine, I'm with you, I'm not compelled etcetera."

The bed squeaked slightly as he sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He handed her breakfast, and she smiled gratefully in return. Tearing the tubing, she began drinking from the bag, her lips curled around the straw in what should have been a completely innocent movement, but somehow she made it unbearably erotic. His chest tightened slightly; he didn't want to have to tell her what he would have to, and he didn't want it to be true, but he saw no other way.

"Love, I'm about to suggest something that you're going to find..." he struggled to find the right word. "...inconvenient, no doubt."

"You're going to make me go to London with you, aren't you?" she sighed, angrily pressing 'send' on a text to Bonnie, not even looking up at him.

"How did you..." he stuttered.

"I'm not an idiot, Klaus." she said, laughing slightly. "I knew you'd want to go, obviously. But I guessed you wouldn't want to leave me here unprotected in case one of Jennifer Mason's test tube babies comes and tries something." She turned to look at him with eyes so full of innocent understanding, it was truly crushing that she knew him so well already. She shuffled closer into his embrace, and he found the feeling to be alien, but the most enjoyable sensation he could imagine. Suddenly, there was little left in the world, save from the smell of her skin and the colour of her hair. It was like he was getting high off of her very presence.

"I could always compel a couple of vampires to stay here with you..." he started but she interrupted him with a laugh.

"Don't even try, I can practically see you grinding your teeth at the idea, you know I'll never be safer than when I'm with you."

A slow breath exited his body, his eyes closed and he unconsciously tightened his grip on her. Her faith in him was both perfect and terrible, exhilarating and terrifying. The last person to so innocently place their trust in him was Henrik, and the last image he had of his little brother was the gashes and claw marks in his skin as he lay lifeless on the grass. He winced, imagining Caroline in his place. Just like Henrik, the only reason she would ever need protecting was because she was with him. He wasn't solving her problems staying with her, he was creating more.

"Klaus, I'll make you a deal," she said brightly, turning his face towards her. "Take me to London, let me help you and fight along side you _like I do for all my friends_," she added, seeing him open his mouth to protest. "and when it's all done and over, I'll let you whisk me away to whatever city you so desire."

He raised an eyebrow. "You expect me to let you put yourself in mortal danger just so I can take you to Paris _if_ I can protect you."

"I'll let you torture Damon." she said hopefully.

"Hmm, maybe. You're getting closer."

"I wont make you come with me when I a) tell my mother I'm leaving the country with you – possibly twice – and b) tell her I slept with you."

"Why does this make me want to take you to London more?" he asked curiously, bringing a hand up to caress her cheek,

"Because white oak or no white oak, if you were there, she'd kill you." Caroline laughed, kissing him.

Klaus grinned, shaking his head in defeat. "Fine, love. You can come to London. But when we get to Paris, I'm spoiling you." he mumbled into her lips. She pouted, but wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek lingeringly. Sighing, he let her shuffle into his lap, resting his chin on the top of her head. If Liz Forbes possessed even half the fire of her daughter, then yes, she probably would kill him.

Looking down at the blonde that was currently sat in his lap, absently playing with the collar of his t-shirt, a sudden realisation came over him in a way that sent a shiver down his spine. Caroline had disarmed in a way that white oak never could; his feelings for this one girl might be the most dangerous weapon of all.

_**AN: I know this is basically just a long filler chapter, and I'm sorry, but I just needed to take a break from all the drama and action and take a moment to let Klaus come to terms with really being with her. I needed to draw some focus back on to how she made him feel, rather than them being in a constant chase for another bad guy.**_

_**But next chapter they will be jetting off to London!**_

_**Again, I apologise for my forgetting the little tidbit about killing an Original, so I wrote a haiku to make up for it; **_

_**Sorry I forgot,**_

_**Please don't hate me forever,**_

_**I love you all lots.**_


	13. London

_**AN: I am so very very sorry about the lateness of my update. My internet has been down for days but it's back up now! Thank you for waiting for me, I love you all so much.  
**_

_**Also, I have noticed several grammatical errors in my chapters. I do go over my writing of course, but I'd really like a beta for this story, so if anyone is interested, please tell me!**_

The white van was filled to the top with luggage, courtesy of Rebekah. The travel arrangements had been simple really; the tickets had been bought, bags packed, and Finn and their mother were due to meet them in London as they were flying from a different airport on their way back from New York.

Kol had been eager to discuss the topic of mothers, as Caroline was due to meet his for the first time, a situation that made him oddly uneasy. He didn't give a damn about what his mother thought, but he knew Caroline would want to make a good impression, Original Witch or not. Further more, Klaus had to meet Liz Forbes, under different circumstances than they had first done so.

Caroline had protested, reminding him of the terms of their negotiation, but he felt a certain obligation to ask permission to take her to London. He felt a stronger desire to hold her hand as she broke the slightly scarier news of their flourishing relationship to her mother in a small attempt to make it less awkward.

"You don't have to be here, Klaus." she said for the tenth time as they pulled up to her house. He remembered coming here for the first time to heal her of a hybrid bite that he had caused. It was that night that he had met the strongest person he knew, and she had been at her weakest, still a light shining in the darkness.

"I know," he squeezed her hand. "but I want to be, so I will be."

Caroline and Klaus both smiled as Liz opened the door – the former more brightly than the latter – with their fingers intertwined behind his back. She ran her thumb over the back of his hand soothingly.

"This news, Caroline," her mother said suspiciously. "how many cups of coffee am I going to need to see it through?"

"A lot."

"You better come in then." she stood aside, but Klaus didn't miss the filthy look she shot him once Caroline was ahead of them.

When they were inside, they sat down in her kitchen opposite her mother. There was a momentary awkward silence, but Liz Forbes wasn't one to beat around the bush.

"So what is it that calls for a family meeting?"

Caroline took a deep breath. "There is this weird family of vampires, who live in London, and they tried to kill Klaus's family and they got really, really close and they nearly killed me too..." Her voice got steadily faster and higher in pitch as she spoke, her mother's eyes widening and her face whitening.

"Wait, hold up." she held her hands up to silence her daughter. "They nearly killed you?"

"It was entirely my fault." he stepped in quickly, seeing Caroline's wince. "I underestimated the vampire who took her; I assumed he was careful and calculating, but he was simply brash and cocky. I am truly sorry, I put Caroline in danger but it will not happen again."

Both the Forbe's women looked utterly stunned by his apology. Caroline looked at him with a heart-stopping smile on her face, her eyes glittering. Liz looked irate, as if he'd just ruined another chance for her to stake him within reason.

"I'm supposed to entrust my daughter with you after that?" she asked sharply.

"He's missing the bit out where he went Cirqe du Solei on a forest to save me." Caroline added, grinning.

"I should not have had to do anything to save you, you should never have been near him." he told her firmly, but she merely shrugged, and rested her hand on his forearm. He tensed, fighting the urge to drag her into his arms and hold her tight enough that no one could ever touch her again. "Caroline has requested that she travel to London with me and my family to go after these vampires."

The sheriff blanched, looking at her daughter with incredulous shock. "Are you insane?"

"They attacked me, drained me of blood and hung me from a tree. They took three original vampires and tortured them... these people are _not_ Damon and Stefan, they are _not_ messing around!" Caroline stressed. "If they come back, they'll tear this town apart to get what they want. You'll be in danger, I'll be in danger, everyone will."

"So let him go." she said simply. "He can't be killed, you can."

"_Thank you_." Klaus muttered under his breath, earning him a scowl from Caroline.

"Mom, it doesn't matter where I am, as long as I'm with Klaus, I'm a target..."

"Exactly, don't be with him then Caroline! Just stay here." Liz snapped with a sharp intake of breath.

Caroline fell silent, her hand slipping from his arm. Her mother's eyes darted back and forth between them. Glancing down at her, her face had gone pale and her mouth was hung slightly open, trying to judge the best words to next exit it. "The other bit of news I had for you, well... I am with Klaus. You know, like, _with_ Klaus."

He was sure it wasn't as eloquent as she had hoped, because her face contorted in discomfort. There was a very long moment of silence between the three of them before Liz spoke again.

"Do you want her to go?" she asked him, her voice unwavering.

"No." No hesitation. "I want her a thousand miles away from all of them, but we don't know where they all are, and if I leave her here unprotected, she is in just as much danger, and so are you by extension."

"Danger follows you lot around like a moth to a flame. I can't honestly say you've ever hurt her, at least not without covering your own ass afterwards, but she's still here because of you." she shook her head in defeat. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, both of you. Because he is a walking target," she addressed her daughter before turning back to him. "and she is stubborn as a mule."

Klaus's phone buzzed, and a text from Elijah informed him that they would need to leave soon. He nudged Caroline, pointing at it and she nodded sadly.

"We need to leave." she walked around the counter to pull her mom into a hug. "I'll fill you in on all the details when I get back, I don't want you worrying too much while I'm gone."

"Good idea." she gave a weak smile. "Bring her back alive, Klaus." He nodded, not trusting himself not to say anything he would later regret as he shared a long flight next to Caroline, who would undoubtedly pass the time by teasing him. The last thing he needed was to be sat with her for several hours listening to an exaggerated version of his declaration of his vow to protect her. Even more so, that was the last thing Kol needed to hear.

When they were back in the car, she sat silently with her head rested on the window. He could hear the jagged intakes of breath, telling him there were tears running down her face without looking at them in the reflection in the glass, but seeing them sent a bolt of lightning through his heart. He craved to reach out and smooth down her hair and wipe away her tears and cradle her in his lap, but something told him that she needed to just cry it out.

"It's stupid." she whispered, turning her head ever so slightly, noticing him watching her.

He smiled. "Don't worry, love. I wont let anyone touch you."

"I know. That's not why I'm scared, I trust you." she shrugged dismissively, wiping away the tears from her cheek, a slight chuckled even falling from her lips as if her words didn't carve a hole in his chest and fill it with a daunting feeling. "It's ridiculous, it's just been... the last few days have been overwhelming. I haven't stopped once."

He understood. From the second she stepped into the bar to hand him the white oak, she'd been submerged in all of his shit, one change after another and he hadn't thought to let her slow down and take it in. He felt overwhelmingly bad about it, but never once had she complained or showed any sign of wanting out. And now she was next to him, preparing to leave everyone behind to fight on his behalf, and only now was she slowing down enough to even think about being scared.

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this." he muttered. "When we get back, I'll back off for a bit, leave you to put your feet up and do whatever it is that you do, like watch some terrible modern romance films with Elena or just sleep..."

"You think I was dragged into this?" she laughed, the sound laced with a touch of bitterness. "Klaus, I walked into this. I chose to comfort a friend when he was going through a crap time, and I chose to help him. I decided to go with you to the prison, and I chose to come with you to London. No one made me, hell, they've only tried to stop me!"

"Caroline..."

"No, listen to me. I am here right now because you keep saving me and you make everything better when it goes to shit, because you are good to me." she said defiantly. "You are the strongest person I know, and I didn't make those choices because you forced me to, I made them because I wanted to. Because you deserve for someone to be there for you like you are for me."

He opened his mouth to argue, but decided against it when he saw the warning in her eyes.

_You, Caroline Forbes, are the strongest person I know_, he thought, turning on the engine.

~.~.~.~

The Mason's apartment was spacious and light, but there was a palpable lack of privacy in that moment. Not that Ruby couldn't escape into her room – or any of the rooms- but because if she or anyone else did, everyone would know why.

They were all gathered in the living room. Ruby sat beside James, Sarah on his other side on one sofa, their mother and Adam sat to their left on another. Zach stood awkwardly, facing them all, his hands shoved in his pockets, looking anywhere but the family before him. He, like Sarah, had never met Adam, which struck them both as odd for a group of people that placed so much emphasis on the bond between family. Beside Zach, the caramel skinned Lily lingered nervously. She wasn't sure of her role here.

James was the first the break the silence. "How was your flight?"

"Lovely. Just in the nick of time, too." Jennifer paused to scowl at Adam. "I was afraid I was bringing home your brother in pieces, what with that Original on his tail. Nearly didn't beat him to the airport."

"I didn't expect him to recover so fast, or in fact for them to send anyone after me. I don't understand how they knew where I was going." Adam defended hotly, ignoring the glare from his sister.

"Careless." she tutted. James shot her a warning glance.

"I left the stupid baby vampire in some woods, half dead with nothing but a riddle to lead them to her." he snapped. "I've seen how he looks at her, I thought it would be all hands on deck."

Ruby looked around the room in confusion. "Can you hear that, everyone? That's the sound of another one of Adam's badly thought out plans failing and the need for someone to pull his ass out the country before someone pulls his spine out. _Again_."

"Ruby." Jennifer and James both snapped at the same time.

"Whatever." she rolled her eyes. "At least the prodigal son is home and safe. I doubt you're important enough to warrant dragging the Original family out all the way to London."

"Actually, Ruby, we can only hope he is." Jennifer stood up, smoothing down her pencil skirt at flicking her dark waves behind her shoulder. Physically, she was no more than fifteen years older than her children, but she was regal, sophisticated. She held herself like a queen. She was the Queen. She was the Vampire Queen of London.

As everyone in the room stared at her in disbelief, she continued. "Adam caused disruption in the vampire community in Virginia, and no doubt, wherever he went. Now, we represent power. We have kingdoms across the globe, and without us, they will not make a move. But, the word is out. The Original's time is _up_, their reign is _over_. Vampires are doubting them across the globe and they will not suffer for it. They will come to London, and we will kill them and take what we have earned."

"Mother, you cannot be serious..." Ruby started.

"Silence." Jennifer held up a hand to her daughter. "Adam came so close. Imagine what this entire family could do. A little bit of science, a little bit of magic and they will die. We will be the undisputed rulers of the supernatural world. All our soldiers are in place. The enemy generals just need to fall."

Ruby sat in shell-shocked silence. Her mother's speech had rocked her to her core. She knew she was an ambitious woman, but to take on the oldest group of vampires on the world was a suicide mission. And what soldiers?

Her eyes fell to the mantelpiece opposite her; it was lined with photos of her siblings. The first was her, James and Adam in some London art gallery years ago. A hint of nostalgia hit her as she realised this was mere months before Adam up and left them, and they were truly happy. Next to that, her oldest adopted sister, Annabel stood in front of the Eiffel Tower, her arms raised above her head, her face painted with a glorious smile. She had ruled over the Parisian vampires for nearly 250 years now. Next to that, her brother Mario was having his unruly black curls cut by Annabel. God, she hadn't seen Mario in years, not since he'd gone to Italy to rule over the vampire community from some tiny coastal town...

"Your soldiers are in place." Ruby repeated, her heart dropping. She wasn't familiar with the feeling of betrayal or deception. "Or your children?"

"They are my family, first and foremost and don't you dare forget that." her mother snarled. "But family fights for family. Just think, Ruby! What happens if we win?"

"No one can challenge us." James answered for her. His voice was laced with suspicion, the same way his sister's was. "We already have men all over the globe, who could take us on after that?"

"No one." Jennifer said smugly.

"So that's it?" Lily asked timidly. "We take out the Original's, and then a new monarchy is installed?"

"Yes, my dear girl." Jennifer nodded. How much of her ancestors she saw in Lily; the same knowing, brown eyes, the same caramel skin and the same sharp intellect. Elizabeth was a great witch. Lily was on her way to being the greatest. As Elizabeth had forged Jennifer, Ruby, James and Adam's daylight ring, Lily had forged Zach's, and would forge Sarah's when the time came. She would be instrumental to their rise to power.

_Yes_, Jennifer though._ The Bennett witch will come in handy._

_~.~.~.~_

Klaus's property in London was one of his favourites. By the looks of Caroline's face, she agreed.

Great white pillars rose up above them, and the front wall was nearly entirely windows. The front garden, two neatly trimmed squares of grass rimmed with delicate floral shrubs were immaculately kept. The entire building exuded class, and they weren't even inside yet.

They looked very out of place in this neighbourhood. Kol was dressed in jeans and some t-shirt supporting a terrible heavy metal bang, his headphones in with the music so loud there were humans who could hear it. Rebekah looked like a model, much too modern for this part of London, with her type usually stalking places nearer the inner city. Rosalia looked stunned, and Sofia looked bored. Both were dressed in jeans and a vest. Even Caroline, a girl who he believed looked like a goddess every day of her life, looked odd in a pair of shorts and a loose top. Elijah was the only one who looked even remotely at home, wearing his ever present suit.

Kol had convinced him to bring the sisters based on their 'knowledge of the enemy' and the advantage of 'strength in numbers' but he knew the real reason was similar to that of why his eyes hadn't left Rosalia's backside since they got out the taxi. Klaus brought them along for more selfish reasons; more eyes to watch Caroline. Her trust in him was uplifting, and simultaneously terrifying.

Klaus had purposefully set about ignoring Caroline as much as he could since they had got on the plane. Regardless of what she said, he knew she needed space, and him breathing down her neck was exactly the opposite. He wanted to grab her by the hand and show all of the beautiful things in London, but she wasn't ready. And this wasn't the time. For now, she needed to adjust. He caught her stifling a yawn behind her hand. She needed to sleep, too.

It was already well into the night when they landed, the sky black and littered with stars. It was pushing midnight by the time they got in, and Rebekah immediately excused herself to go to bed. Flying never sat well with his sister.

Caroline gazed up at the three tier crystal chandelier above her in the hall, as the wind brought in from the open door caused it to sway and dance a little. Klaus took the moment to lose himself in the sight of her. Her face, for what seemed like the first time today, not twisted in torment and upset and stress. The lights reflected off each of the tiny crystals, painting her in tiny dots of light. As they entwined in her golden hair, she looked like an angel staring at her halo.

The sound of the door shutting brought him back to his senses, and Elijah simply walked past him, offering nothing but a knowing glance and a raised eyebrow.

"It's beautiful here, Klaus." she smiled warmly. "Thank you for bringing me."

"I'd thank you for making me bring you, but I'm not thankful." he said sternly, but she grinned. It was impossible to remain angry at her for any length of time. "I'll show you to your room."

An emotion crossed her face, just for a second. But she seemed to dismiss it, smiling a little to brightly as she walked after him.

He chose this room for her specifically; the walls were crisp white, and the carpet was a dark purple. The bed, a white framed king sized mound of pillows, sat against a wall of windows. There was an unnecessary amount of cushions on it, and a silky plum throw at the foot, but Caroline looked ecstatic.

"You look tired, so if you need anything, I'm downstairs. There are blood bags in the fridge. If you hear anyone come in during the night, don't panic, it will be Finn and my mother." he said from the door way, watching her take in her surroundings.

"Thank you."

"Would you like me to bring you up a blood bag?"

She nodded in thanks, dropping her bags at the foot of the bed. Shrugging off her jacket and kicking off her shoes, she sat down on the chair in the corner of the room. Dark circles had already appeared under her eyes, and she looked unsteady, even sat down. There was a very real possibility that recent events had taken more than just an emotional toll on her; while she looked gleeful in the car here with all the sights out the window, now she looked exhausted and drained.

"Caroline, love. Get ready for bed, you look like you're about to drop." he said, eyeing her with concern. She nodded vaguely, stifling another yawn, as Klaus closed the door behind him.

He found Elijah and Kol in the kitchen with Rosalia. From the sounds of it, she was trying to teach him Italian, and Elijah was watching in general bemusement.

Rolling his eyes, he fetched a blood bag. "You know he can already speak Italian?"

Kol glared, and Rosalia sighed, punching him on the arm. "_Che_ _cazzo_, Kol."

"_Perdonami_, _amore_ _mio_!" Kol called after her and she walked out the kitchen and up the stairs. After she was out of ear shot, he turned to Klaus. "I was getting really good as well, my grammar was improving."

"You're an idiot." He turned back to the stairs to drop off her blood bag.

"Give her one from me!"

"I brought the daggers, Kol."

He found Caroline, half awake, tucked into bed. A lock of her hair had fallen over her face, and when he brushed it away, her eyes opened fully and she smiled at him. It was heart-warming.

Placing the blood bag on the table beside her, he ran his knuckles over her cheek, and she hummed in enjoyment. Now she was in bed, a little colour had returned to her face and she looked like she might have a little peace. He shook himself. _You're overreacting, Niklaus_, he told himself sternly. _She was probably just jet-lagged_. She caught his hand in hers, holding it under her face and nuzzling into his palm.

"You know, a week ago, if someone said that I'd be laid in a bed in London, waiting for you to come back upstairs, I'd have punched them." he muttered into his hand. It made him smile, the idea of her punching someone.

"You're wondering why I didn't expect you to sleep in my room."

She nodded. "Good guess, Sherlock."

"I've been called worse." he shrugged. "I told you, I'm happy to give you the space you need..."

"But I want to share it with you." she chuckled lightly. "For someone so very intelligent, you can be so _thick_ sometimes." She shifted so her head rested in his lap.

"You're dangerous." she mumbled with a light laugh. He was pretty sure she was barely conscious, he head was rocking from side to side, her eyelids fluttering with the effort of keeping them open. "No one should be able to make me feel this in such a short amount of time."

"And what do you feel, love?" His voice was steady, but it felt like his insides were knotting themselves round knives.

"Big stuff, around here." she said, trying to raise her hand to her heart. However, she was barely able to keep her eyes open, and her fingers brushed her breast bone before falling to her side. She smiled nonetheless.

"Go to sleep, my love." he pressed a kiss to her forehead, not missing the accidental change in her address. He shook his head; she was dead to the world before he had slid her head off his legs and placed it back on the pillow.

~.~.~.~

Elijah placed two fingers of scotch in his hands without a word when he appeared in the study. Kol was doing God knows what, leaving only him and his older brother awake in the house.

He sank into the plump leather armchair, holding his drink up to the light. "You know me well brother."

"How is Miss Forbes?"

Klaus groaned internally. He knew he would have to have this conversation – probably with all of his siblings and his mother too – eventually, but he had been hoping to delay it until she had fully recovered and his mind could stop playing tricks on him.

"She is tired. She's never been in a plane, never mind crossed that many time zones." he said simply, avoiding the deeper subtext in the question.

Elijah looked thoughtful. "She confuses me. Her transformation over the past several days has been nothing short of miraculous. The same could be said for yours." he said, taking a deep sip from his own glass.

"My transformation?" he said incredulously. "If this is about letting the sisters come with us..."

"You know, I have always dreamt about the day you fell in love." Elijah said bluntly. Klaus fell silent at the word 'love'. "I always imagined the girl to bring out the best in you, but I never imagined you to bring out the best in her too."

"Brother," he chuckled. "that is simply Caroline. All her wonderful traits are hers alone."

"Don't try and lie to me, Niklaus. I've seen Caroline with her friends, and I have seen her with you. It's like two different girls." Elijah tutted.

"Because she is usually coming up with some new inventive way to insult me."

Elijah groaned. "How can I make you see this? Tell me, brother. How do you feel right now?"

"Knackered."

"Nope." he said, with a touch of smugness his older brother reserved for special occasions. "You are perceiving what you are feeling to be fatigue. You're overwhelmed, confused and going through an emotional transformation. Just like the young woman upstairs."

Klaus settled down in his chair a little further, keeping his eyes on his drink. The smallest voice in the back of his head – which experience told him to listen to – told him his brother was right. But so many years of pushing anything which he thought might be a weakness down to the very depths of his being meant that it took a considerable amount of concentration to actually feel what Elijah was talking about.

"Okay, if I'm feeling this, why am I not semi-conscious and verging on delirious like Caroline?"

"For a thousand years, you have suppressed any emotion in an attempt to appear strong. Let me guess; it's a reflex now?" Klaus nodded. "A _thousand_ years, Niklaus. Caroline is _eighteen_. And as a new vampire, her emotions are doubled. She's completely emotionally spent."

"So Caroline is like this because... of what she feels for me?" he asked nervously.

"She is like this because she is falling in love with you."

Suddenly, a fist buried itself in his abdomen, apparently wielding some sort of blade as his insides were torn apart and fell out of his skin. His chest caved, his lungs collapsing. His heart tore into tiny pieces inside his body, and his intestines curled around his spine, pulling tight until it broke. The bones of his knuckled freed themselves from the confines of skin as his grip on the arms of his chair tightened. His ears filled an unbearable ringing, and lights danced in front of his eyes, teasing him.

Could it have been that the wonderful, golden haired, blue eyed angel upstairs was really in love with him?

Could it be so that one day she was his? That every kiss, touch and softly spoken word from her was entirely reserved for him? The overwhelming desire to lay beside her and watch the gentle rise and fall of her chest came over him, the want to run his fingertips up and down her body, the need to simply be close to her. He glanced at Elijah who was looking more than a little smug.

"And that, little brother, is called an epiphany. Go, get your girl."

Klaus grinned at his brother. He was filled with a light that he hadn't felt in century's as he ran up the stairs, taking them three at a time. When he came to her door, he froze. He couldn't just burst in, she was probably asleep. Shaking the tension out of his hands, he slowly turned the door knob, pushing it open. His eyes found the bed instantly, and she turned her head slowly to face him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." he cringed.

"Don't be, I couldn't sleep." Her voice was hazy, as if she had just been woken up, but her eyes were open and she sat up, pulling the covers up the her chest as she did.

Crossing the room, he sat beside her. Even in her dishevelled, not-quite-post-sleep state, she looked adorable. Her hair was a mess, curls falling all over the place. He beamed, smoothing them down.

"You look better." he said, running a thumb across her cheek. The colour had returned to her face, and her eyes were sparkling again.

"Yeah, the blood helped I guess." she shrugged, laying back down on the bed. She looked up at him expectantly, before laughing and rolling her eyes. She grabbed his hand and dragged him down beside her.

He grinned, pulling his top over his head and settling down beside her. She quickly found her place against him, her head rested on his chest, her hand on his stomach, his arm around her shoulders. He happily ran his fingers along her arms, feeling the trail of goosebumps he left. She replied by pressing herself to him, her fingers in turn drawing the outline of his tattoo.

"I have a plan for tomorrow." he said suddenly.

"What's the plan, Batman?"

"I'm going to show you London." he kissed the top of her head. "Screw Adam and Jennifer and being responsible and all that, London is beautiful, and you should see it."

"What, no military tactics, no secret undercover operation?" he lifted her head off his chest.

"Nope, I'm sacrificing my role as Evil Ruler of the World and I'm going to show a pretty girl around one of my favourite cities." he beamed.

"Well, you're going to need to be well rested if you're spending the day with me." she grinned. She shoved him off the bed, and pulled back the covers so he could get in properly. He laughed with her, pulling his trousers off and climbing back into bed next to her.

It was a truly magnificent moment, realising he was laid in bed with a woman who very well may be falling in love with him in equal and startling amounts as he was with her. Their skin touched at every possible point, their legs entwined as he cradled her to his chest. From here, he could count the shades of gold in her hair. He could play dot-to-dot on the freckles on her skin.

He hadn't realised there was still a ringing in his ears until it stopped. Maybe that was the moment he decided he was no longer falling, but he had simply fell.


	14. Vampire Queen

_**AN: Thank you all for staying with this story. I feel like I haven't been writing to my best standard recently, and I'm so happy you haven't all abandoned me. I'm sorry my updates are taking so long, but I am officially a college student now! Studying and essay writing are getting in the way a bit, but I have by no means abandoned this fic. If you stay with me, I promise that I'll get Klaus naked within at least the next two chapters – pinky promise ;)**_

A thousand years of running and hiding left Klaus with an impressive ability to sense when someone was looking at him from any direction, even when he was asleep.

"Caroline, stop watching me sleep."

"Why?"

"It's weird."

"What was it I said about the pot and the kettle?"

He opened his eyes a fraction to see her propped up on one elbow, gazing at him with her piercing blue eyes. They were filled with curiosity, amusement and – dare he say it? – affection. Her blonde hair was ruffled and messy, falling across her face in pale strands, standing out against her flushed cheeks.

"Why are you blushing?"

"You make me nervous."

She leant back down on the bed so she was level with him, and he saw her half grimace, half smile at his smirk. It was one of life's greatest pleasures, he thought, making a beautiful woman blush. Of course now, it was one of life's greatest pleasures to make Caroline blush; he doubted he'd give two damns if it was anyone else.

Was this what it was like to be in love? To be so wholly focused on one person that they obsolete everyone else? He racked his brains, failing to find a single woman who could eclipse her light, even now, with pink cheeks and tangled hair.

"Do I?" he grinned.

"Yeah, the way you look at me, like you could never look at anything else ever again." she smiled, blood rushing to her cheeks once more, stronger in colour this time.

"You have a keen eye, love." he said, brushing her hair from her face. "Alas, we must get up. I have a whole morning planned out for us. Unfortunately, I'm throwing you to the lions this afternoon; my sister demands to have a new shopping partner."

She groaned, but he knew she was secretly thrilled at the chance. "We have to get up now? It's like half past six in the morning."

"New York isn't the only city that never sleeps."

~.~.~.~

Less than an hour later, the pair was sat in a tiny café, enjoying a traditional English breakfast. Caroline was mildly bemused when the waitress brought out two bacon sandwiches and two cups of tea.

"I can't imagine you eating bacon sandwiches."

He shrugged, taking a bite. "For all life's riches and centuries of perfecting the art of food, there is something singularly divine about a well cooked bacon sarnie."

The café was minuscule, but more and more people were filing in as the minutes passed. A traditional establishment, it sported rows of tables covered with plastic table clothes and hard chairs. The walls were adorned with pictures of Old London, pin up girls, cartoon cats and even a few photographs of who Klaus assumed were the owners and staff. They seemed like a tight-knit group, with the word 'jolly' coming to mind more than once.

"So, what is on the agenda today?"

"You know me better than that, love. I'm not telling." he smirked. Truthfully, he was enjoying breakfast with Caroline much more than expected. The uncharacteristically human gesture was conjuring images of holding her hand as he pulled her into markets and cafés in France, and she returned the favour in Parisian boutiques. They'd bickered about what they were doing, but he'd wrap his arms around her and she'd roll her eyes and they'd carry on being a couple. Images of waking up in the morning, her resting her head on his shoulder as she read the newspaper he was reading from her perch. Hours of exploring the world would leave them exhausted, and as they would climb back into bed together, his lips would explore the skin of her neck as he slipped her top over her head...

"Klaus?"

He blinked a few times stupidly, secretly glad she had pulled him out of his daydream when she had before it got too heated and he found himself in a whole heap of trouble in the middle of a crowded London café. "Sorry, love. You were saying?"

"Are you okay? Your eyes kinda glazed over and..."

"I'm fine." he nodded. "Just daydreaming."

"Okay." she giggled. "I just thought you'd like to know about the vampire that just walked in and is currently staring holes in the back of your skull."

His head jerked up, immediately going behind him to look. There was, indeed, a woman sat behind him, staring at the back of his head. Pale skin and soft, strawberry blonde hair made her stand out in a building filled with rushing office slaves and taxi drivers. He cursed himself for not noticing her earlier.

"What do you want?" he said shortly.

"To talk." Her accent was distinctly French, so far as to say she probably wasn't even living in England. Klaus wondered what brought her so far from home. He indicated for her to join them, before moving to sit next to Caroline. He wasn't letting her anywhere near this stranger than utterly necessary. She came across as quite cocky to confront him in the open, so he imagined she wasn't above stabbing the blonde in the middle of rush hour.

She smiled pleasantly as she took her seat across from Klaus, before eyeing Caroline with what appeared to be amusement. His companion raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"You wanted to talk? Talk." he snapped.

With one final glance at Caroline, she sighed. "_Ma reine demandes qu'elle parle avec vous dès que c'est pratique..._"

"Excuse me." Caroline glared. "I assume you're speaking French so I don't understand what is being said, but your queen should have done her homework; I speak French."

Klaus bit down a laugh, choking on his tea a little at Caroline's bravery. Of course she would want to be involved as much as he was. Once again, he underestimated her loyalty, her guts and her intellegence. The other woman looked frustrated, raising an eyebrow to Caroline in a heavily disdainful way.

"_Dois-je me répéter?_" Caroline snarled in a flawless French accent. Klaus openly laughed at her, the furious look on the other woman's face was priceless. She had been so vunerable recently, it made him forget Caroline was more than capable of holding her own.

"Fine." she grunted. "Queen Annabelle requests that you speak with her as soon as possible, on matters pertaining to your growing fued with the Mason family."

"I don't give a flying fuck what the little chat she wishes to have pertains to, sweetheart," he growled. "because I am the Original Hybrid, not some pup that can be summonded."

"She is the regining Vampire Queen of Paris, Mr Mikaelson." the girl warned. "She is not looking for war, but she is prepared for it."

He hesitated. It was not the threat of war that made him reconsider, for his family was to all intents and purposes immortal. Paris was one of the supernatural capitals of the world; it was teemping with vampires, drawn to it for it's immortal beauty and culture and history. Anyone who had sucessfully installed themselves as a leader was either very blood thirsty, very smart or very charasmatic... likely a combination of the three. She could be a inconvinient enemy, or a perfect ally. She would also bring monumental numbers to his cause.

"I assume you already know where I am staying?" he said calmly, not thinking about how easy it had been for them to be found, and not wanting to think about what that meant for Caroline's safety.

"I do."

"Tell your queen she is welcome to drop by anytime after 1 o'clock today." he smiled sweetly. "You can go now." he added.

She nodded, wise enough not to dig a hole when she had already landed square at the bottom. Before she left, Klaus saw her head turn ever so slightly in his direction. Her voice was minimal, so quiet Caroline did not hear her. "_La fille n'est pas sûr._"

Caroline popped the last bite of her sandwich in her mouth, chewing contently as she watched the queen's messenger leave with a confused look on her face. Klaus raised an eyebrow.

"What was that last bit? I didn't catch it."

He shrugged. "The French are very dramatic. It was of no consequence."

She gave a hearty laugh, and settled her head on his shoulder. He leant his forehead against her, taking in the welcoming smell of her hair while the truth of the stranger's words sank in.

_**The girl is not safe.**_

~.~.~.~

They carried on their morning in a cautious state, Klaus cursing himself for not making their arrival in one of his favourite cities more inconspicuous. His heart skipped a beat at every strand of red hair he saw, instinctivaly clutching at Caroline's arm and pulling her to him. After maybe the third time, she started to find it amusing.

"Klaus, watch out!" she cried. "A ginger, twelve o'clock!" He scowled at her silently while she giggled at her own apparant hilarity. However, he saw she was just as rattled by their visitor, watching over her shoulder, and following his gaze whenever it lingered too long on one place.

They returned back to the house a little before one in the afternoon. Judging by the number of voices inside, Finn and his mother had arrived.

Caroline heard them too, and he saw her visibly flinch. She was all too suddenly filled with fear. Not the kind she was when they were approached in the cafe, but a different kind. Not the kind where she considered fighting for her life, the kind where she was forced to be strong in the face of a group of people who were older, wiser, stronger and unnervingly more brutal than her. Klaus became overwhelmed by the urge to press her to his chest and whisk her away back into the depths of the city, but something told him Caroline wanted to do this and to do it herself. He clasped her hand; she didn't have to be entirely alone.

Pushing through into the living room, she came face to face with his entire family. For the first time in a while, Klaus really saw how different he was. With the exception of Rebekah, he was the only one with his mother's light brown hair and stormy blue eyes. His brothers were all dark hair and hollowed cheeks. There was no more of Mikael in Klaus than there was in Caroline. It made him wonder how no one had made the connection before he triggered his curse.

"Miss Forbes, I assume." Esther said with a calm smile. "It is a pleasure to make your aquaintance."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mrs Mikaelson. Call me Caroline, please." she said, extending her hand, but returning quickly to Klaus's side. He saw the Miss Mystic Falls smile, manners and false bravado in her more than ever.

"Esther, please." his mother beamed. "I don't believe you have met my oldest, Finn."

His oldest half brother stepped forwards, a tension in his step indicative of someone who was still getting used to 900 years of scientific and social evolution. Finn still flinched when you turned on a light, and stared in confusion at women in short skirts. It was a source of great amusement to Klaus, Rebekah and Kol. Elijah only scowled, muttering about how cruel leaving him dessicated for that long was.

Finn took Caroline's hand, and bowed over it, nodding his head at her. She blushed a little, before greeting him.

Klaus eyed his mother with some suspicion as she ushered them all into the study, but dismissed it. She had been oddly kind to Caroline, but why was he surprised? There was nothing to dislike in her at all. Maybe Caroline was right. Maybe paranoia was getting the best of him.

The study was always his favourite room in their London house. It was dark, lit softly with yell1ow lights that mimicked candle light without any of the fire hazzards – something needed with Kol within three miles of the house. But his favourite feature was the fact it was a two-story room. It was long and narrow, but a dark staircase next to the door lead upstairs to an extensive library. Instead of a floor, a balcony of sorts hovered over the study. The dark wood that covered the walls cave the impression of a cave, of the room being much taller than it was, and thus all the grander.

Klaus led Caroline over to the loveseat in the far corner and sat beside her. He knew Rebekah was itching to go shopping, but he needed to inform the family of their visitor. They all gathered in the room, sitting on various chairs and sofas, all sipping on their cups of tea. Except Kol, of course, who was nursing a borbourn.

"Our arrival in the capital has not gone unnoticed." he state bluntly. Slowly, he explained the messenger that approached them, watching their reactions carefully. Rebekah and Kol looked irritated, Finn and Elijah looked thoughtful and Esther looked humoured.

"You're not even considering an alliance, are you?" she chuckled.

"Of course not." he barked a harsh laugh. "She is a queen. She first and foremost looks after her subjects, and that places us in second place. It's much easier to fall to third and forth if you're not in first. She would be a liability."

"Speak to the woman." Esther reasoned.

"I agree." Caroline piped up. Everyone looked at her in confusion. "I mean, she got here quick, didn't she? It was like she was keeping an eye on the situation, maybe she wants the Mason's gone as much as you."

When everyone remained silent, Caroline looked highly embarassed, as if she had spoken out of turn. She flushed red, looking quickly down at the floor. Meanwhile, Klaus felt the grin form across his face. It was a highly logical idea, one that not even he had considered. He'd been too angry at being discovered and summoned to actually think about why Annabelle had acted within meer hours of their landing.

"I think that is a brilliant line of reasoning, Miss Forbes." Elijah spoke up, saving Caroline from her humiliation. She nodded, giving him a brief smile.

"Exactly." Esther beamed. "This alliance only makes sense."

Their considerations were interupted by the sound of a loud groan coming from outside. Klaus listened, hearing the sound of fists connecting with torsos, and what sounded like a petite, black haired Italian being rammed into the ground by her sister.

"Family fued?" he chuckled.

"Training. They're actually quite good." Rebekah noted.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he wandered outside to find Rosalia being held in a headlock by Sofia. Both girls were dressed in excersise gear, their hair pulled back. Rosalia escaped the hold, turning Sofia around and pinning her to the floor with her arms pulled high. There was the sickening crunch of her shoulders dislocated, and the older Trigiani ground her teeth to mute the pain, before using her sister's flimsy balance against her. She pulled her arms back, sending Rosalia flying over her head and landing just ahead of her. She picked up what appeared to be a plastic stake from the floor and plunged it into Rosalia's stomach.

Caroline gasped, and even Klaus raised an eyebrow. This was a strict training regiment.

Sofia pulled the stake out and threw it back on the floor. Rosalia bent over, supporting herself on her knees, panting heavily as her wound healed. "Don't worry, Caroline. She's used to being beaten." Sofia smirked, wiping her sister's blood off the stake on her black vest. Rosalia responded by flipping her the finger.

Judging by the skid marks all over the lawn, it was probably good that the garden was very large, and there was fences high enough to sheild from prying eyes. He could only imagine the damage they inflicted on eachother.

"Wanna go, Caroline?" Rosalia offered with a grin.

"I'm not really dressed..."

"Get changed then." Sofia shrugged.

Caroline glanced at Klaus and he instantly shook his head. His mind was filled with sudden visions of the stake being rammed into her torso, and her being throw the length of the garden and beaten bloody. Friendly fighting or not, he doubted his self control extended far enough to not tear one of the sister's throats out after that.

"Not a chance, love."

"Klaus, we wont actually hurt her." Rosalia reassured him softly.

"I have a theory." Caroline said suddenly. Klaus raised an eyebrow. "I reckon I'm secretly a talented warrior queen."

He cocked his head. "What makes you think I'll let you test that theory, sweetheart?"

"You won't have a choice." she grinned. "I'll test it against Rosalia and Sofia, or I'll test it against Adam and Jennifer Mason. Pick one."

He glared at her, knowing she had a point and that he was essentially beaten. He couldn't help but imagine all the ways in which her neck could be snapped, her skin could be torn and her blood could spill. However, he knew that if one of the sister's do it, they'd help her up. If one of the Mason's did it, they'd use the chance to ram a stake into her heart. He knew what the lesser of two evils was. He remained silent as she bit her lower lip in an attempt to stop laughing.

"I'll go get changed." she winked.

As he watched her go, he remember the last words that the strawberry blonde had spoken to him; the girl is not safe. If he had it his way, he'd have her chained to the bed and compelled into not escaping for the duration of her stay in London, but he was not ignorant to the fact she would spend two weeks minimum snapping at him if he did so. What was it with the people from Mystic Falls and suicide missions?

"Niklaus, we should discuss what we will do about this Parisian Queen." Elijah muttered, coming level with him.

"She'll be here, soon, I imagine. Discuss it with her. It is rude to talk about people behind their backs, is it not?" he snapped. He didn't mean to take his growing concern out on his brother, but it was impossible to remain level-headed when he allowed himself to consider the position she was in.

Caroline reappeared a moment later, her hair pulled back into a pony tail. A quite frankly illegal amount of skin was shown under her tiny gym shorts, her creamy white legs bringing back all sorts of delicious memories. He reminded himself his mother was present, and cleared his throat and his mind.

Caroline nervously joined the sisters on the lawn, and his siblings settled down on the garden furniture, facing them. The muttered amungs themselves, glancing at the girls occasionally. It seemed quite surreal that his family had gathered to watch Caroline and the others practice staking eachother in the garden, but it created a sense of something oddly close to normalcy.

"Right," Sofia picked up the stake. "basics first, huh? I'm coming at you, what do you do?"

"Move out the way, don't leave my back to you." Caroline said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm faster than you."

"Move behind you."

Sofia nodded. "Good. Try it." She lunged at Caroline, who sucessfully manouvered behind her. The Italian looked midly surprised that she had done well.

"Don't look so surprised," she snapped when she caught Klaus looking slightly stunned at her agility. "you've met my mom... you think I'd be allowed out without taking self-defence classes, huh?"

Kol stepped forward, arms spread. "Let's try something a bit different, huh, ladies? You two won't get better by fighting eachother, you know eachother two well. And you, you need to learn how to fight quickly. A masterclass is in order, and I happen to be a master."

Caroline looked petrified. Sofia looked insulted, but Rosalia stepped up to the challenge. "C'mon then, _vecchio_."

It was entertaining watching the girl come out of her shell around Kol. It was true he had a gift for bringing out the worst in people sometimes, but Rosalia was the last person Klaus expected to fit in with his rowdy brother. On the contrary, she looked more than up to the challenge of keeping him entertained. It reminded him of Caroline. Most things reminded him of Caroline, now he thought about it.

More than capable of taking all three out before the last one could blink, Kol purposefully crept around them, pretending to consider all of his options. Rosalia stood beside Caroline, on his far side, and Sofia stood between them all. In a flash, he had Sofia in his grip, and he threw her at the pair. All three landed on the floor with a thud, coughing as the air was pushed out their lungs by the force of impact.

"_Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting_." Kol quoted smugly as the girls got up. _Sun Tzu_, Klaus thought with a chuckle. His brother did read, then.

The three got back up, brushing themselves off, and Rosalia held a hand to the place where her sister had torn her stomach open. Apparently, having someone thrown onto a healing stab wound didn't help the process. Throwing Kol a cautious glance, they huddled together, speaking so low even Klaus could not decifer what they were saying. There was several hand movements, and a few smirks thrown over Caroline's shoulder at Kol, before the broke up, nodding at eachother.

The positioned themselves, never breaking eye contact. Rosalia remained where she was. Sofia walked a wide circle around him, stopping several metres behind his back. Caroline did the same, only stopping to his right. Kol looked from one girl to the next, clearly as confused as Klaus.

"What are they doing?" Elijah muttered. His family had stopped their chattering and were observing the girls with some curiosity. Every one of them was focused on the scene in front of them. "This is quite the show, no?"

Rosalia stretched her arms out, letting out a breath. "No one we're facing is as old as you, so be fair. Don't use any special Original abilities and don't be an ass. One at a time, one on one. Start with me."

Kol looked like all his birthdays and Christmas' had come at once. Rosalia braced as he walked slowly towards her. If he knew his brother, Klaus guessed he would be purposefully slow to taunt her. Or maybe just to spend time in her proximity. His hormones never did straighten out.

He lunged at her neck with his hands – slower than he should have been - and she ducked. She came up behind him, kicking the backs of his knees so he fell to the ground. Klaus knew Kol could take a hit better than that, and even the girl seemed a little taken back. But Kol recovered before she could plan her next move, and chokeslammed her to the floor.

Sofia and Caroline laughed. "That was pathetic, sister. Try again."

Rosalia stood up, brushed herself off with a grin. Elijah and Klaus shared a confused look. That had been too easy. Neither of them could quite get at what their plan was.

"So be it." Rosalia smiled. She pulled her vest over her head, exposing only the sports bra she had on underneath. Her toned, olive coloured stomach had Kol's mouth to the floor before the top had landed on the floor. Klaus had to hand it to her though; the shape of her body had even Elijah clearing his throat.

Before he could amuse himself with his brother's reactions, Caroline had run forward, kicking Kol's legs out from underneath him. He fell flat on his back, and Sofia quickly pushed the stake into his ribs before he could stand back up.

Klaus let out a loud laugh, and even Elijah and Finn chuckled lightly. They all gave a round of applause, and the girls giggled as they bowed. Kol wrenched the stake out, pushing himself up.

"What was that guy you just quoted? Sun Tzu, was it?" Sofia smirked.

"A certain phrase comes to mind..." Roslia added thoughtfully.

"_All warefare is deception_." Caroline grinned, finishing the trail of thought. They all burst into laughter as Kol scowled, brushing the dirt off his t-shirt. "Although, maybe we should ammend it to '_all warefare is distraction_'?"

"I still don't understand why I had to get tackled though." Rosalia held out a hand to Kol, which he took and stood up next to her.

"Because I don't want the creep staring at me, and we all know it wouldn't be me staking him if he looked at Caroline like that." Sofia laughed, tipping a non-existant hat to Klaus. He raised his glass to her. It was true.

The girls all laughed, and his siblings shared a few comments quietly about the new additions to the travel party. A sense of family too long missing filled his heart. It was peculiar, surreal and eccentric at the best of times, but it was a family. His siblings were together again, he had Caroline by his side, Kol laughed with the Trigiani's and even his mother seemed content.

"If all warefare is deception, should I have been more discreet?" an unfamiliar voice interupted them all. They all turned around, but Klaus knew who it was before he even saw her.

"Your Majesty." he bowed his head. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"


End file.
